Chapters
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements This book would not have been possible without the support of many people. I would like to thank Scott Johnson and everyone at the Center for Hellenic Studies, particularly Jill Curry Robbins and Jason Harris, for their encouragement and assistance with the manuscript. I would like to thank the… Read more
Introduction
Introduction The date was June 7th, 421 CE, and Theodosius II had just married. His choice of bride would have scandalized the Constantinopolitan court and church, had she not been hand-picked by his sister and chief advisor, Pulcheria. Theodosius’ bride neither came from the local aristocracy, nor did she secure… Read more
1. Homeric Euergetism
1. Homeric Euergetism Introduction In 1981, Yizhar Hirschfeld and Giora Solar published an initial report on their first three seasons of excavations at Hammat Gader, a site located along the Yarmuk River on the eastern border of modern-day Israel. [1] While their initial investigation of… Read more
2. The Homeric Cento: Paraphrasing the Bible
2. The Homeric Cento: Paraphrasing the Bible Eudocia is better known for her Homeric cento than for her Antiochene euergetism or her ekphrastic poem from Hammat Gader. This chapter examines Eudocia’s Homeric cento alongside her prefatory poem that explains how and why she paraphrased the Bible with lines from the… Read more
3. The Conversion: Constructing the Feminine Ideal
3. The Conversion: Constructing the Feminine Ideal Introduction By the middle of the fourth century, stories about a fictional Christian bishop and martyr, Cyprian of Antioch, began to circulate throughout the eastern half of the empire. According to these stories, a lovelorn Antiochene aristocrat, Aglaidas, hires a local magician, Cyprian,… Read more