Theodosian Empresses

Pulcheria and her brother are children of Arcadius, who was the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (also known as the Byzantine Empire) until 408. The Roman Empire had at this time permanently split into two parts, an eastern and a western part, each ruled by a different emperor.

Pulcheria grew up at court in Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Empire. During her childhood she was probably influenced by her mother, Aelia Eudoxia, who was also augusta. There are many similarities between this coin portrait of Pulcheria and the coin portraits of her mother Eudoxia (see image above). They are depicted wearing the same clothes, almost identical headdresses, and they are both crowned by the Manus Dei.

There is also a similarity in their names. In fact, all previous empresses of the Theodosian dynasty (the dynasty started by Pulcheria’s grandfather Emperor Theodosius the Great) have the name ‘Aelia’. Theodosius’ wife was Aelia Flaccilla, then came Aelia Eudoxia and our own Aelia Pulcheria. These similarities in style and name between Pulcheria and her predecessors would be obvious to the people using these coins. It was immediately clear to them that Pulcheria was now the most important woman of the Empire, just like her mother and grandmother had been.

It is not always easy to hold on to power when you finally have it, as Pulcheria would find out. Her title and lineage were not enough to ensure her position, especially when Emperor Theodosius II finally married. Pulcheria had to compete with his new wife to keep her influence on him. How did Pulcheria hold on to her influence and power? The symbolism on the reverse of this coin might give us some clues…