Pulcheria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pulcheria
Augusta
Solidus of Pulcheria
Roman empress (in the East)
Tenure	25 August 450 – July 453
Born	19 January 398 or 399 Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey)
Died	July 453 Probably Constantinople (aged 53–55) (now Istanbul, Turkey)
Spouse	Marcian
House	House of Theodosius
Dynasty	Theodosian
Father	Arcadius
Mother	Aelia Eudoxia
Religion	Nicene Christianity

Aelia Pulcheria ( Greek: Πουλχερία; born January 19, 398 or 399 – died July 453) was a powerful empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. She first advised her younger brother, Emperor Theodosius II, when he was a child. Later, she became the wife of Emperor Marcian from 450 until her death in 453.

Pulcheria was the second child of Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius and Empress Aelia Eudoxia. In 414, when she was fifteen, Pulcheria became the official guardian of her brother Theodosius II. She was also given the special title of Augusta. Pulcheria was very religious and played a big part in the Christian Church. She had a lot of influence and political power during her brother's rule.

When Theodosius II died in 450, Pulcheria married Marcian. She did this while still keeping her promise to remain a virgin. She passed away three years later in 453. Pulcheria greatly influenced the Christian Church and its beliefs. She was involved in important meetings like the Council of Ephesus and helped guide the Council of Chalcedon. These meetings decided important questions about the nature of Christ. Both the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church later recognized her as a saint.

Early Life and Family

Pulcheria was born into the Theodosian dynasty, a powerful family that ruled the Eastern Roman Empire from Constantinople. Her parents were Emperor Arcadius and Empress Aelia Eudoxia. Pulcheria had an older sister, Flaccilla, who was born in 397 but likely died young. Her younger siblings were Arcadia (born in 400), Theodosius II (born in 401), and Marina (born in 401).

During her father Arcadius's reign, there was a conflict between his wife, Empress Eudoxia, and John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople. This rivalry was partly about a silver statue of Eudoxia near the Hagia Sophia cathedral. Chrysostom criticized the celebrations around the statue, saying they dishonored the church. He also spoke against the empress's lavish lifestyle in his sermons. This angered Eudoxia and led to Chrysostom being removed from his position. Later in her life, Pulcheria honored John Chrysostom by bringing his holy remains back to the church.

Becoming the Emperor's Sister-Guardian

Empress Eudoxia died in 404, and Emperor Arcadius died in 408. They left behind four young children, including Theodosius II, who was only 7 years old. Theodosius had been a co-emperor with his father since 402 and now ruled alone. At first, a high-ranking official named Anthemius managed the government.

In 414, Pulcheria, at age 15, became her brother's official guardian. Theodosius gave her the special title of Augusta on July 4, 414. This meant she had imperial power. At the same time, Pulcheria and her sisters made a vow of virginity. This was to prevent potential husbands from gaining too much power. After this, the imperial palace became more like a monastery, with a focus on religious life.

Sozomen, a historian, described the pious life of Pulcheria and her sisters: "They all lived in a similar way. They regularly attended church and showed great kindness to strangers and the poor. They spent their days and nights together singing praises to God."

Life in the palace included chanting, reading from holy books, and fasting twice a week. The sisters gave up the fancy jewelry and clothes that other women at court wore. Pulcheria taught Theodosius many things he needed to be a good emperor. She helped him with his public speeches and taught him good manners, how to ride horses, and how to dress. Pulcheria made sure Theodosius was trained to be a good Christian leader.

Pulcheria's Vow of Virginity

Pulcheria took a vow of virginity in 414, and her sisters followed her example. Pope Leo I, who lived at the same time as Pulcheria, praised her deep faith and dislike of false teachings. Pulcheria might have had another reason to stay unmarried: she would have had to give up her power to a husband. Also, the husbands of Pulcheria and her sisters could have had too much influence over their young brother, or even threatened his rule.

Pulcheria's Role as Augusta

Pulcheria was highly respected at court and held the title of Augusta. A statue of her was even placed in the Byzantine Senate alongside other emperors.

Influence on Church and Society

Many important events happened during Pulcheria's time as Augusta and her brother's reign. Pulcheria's influence was mostly in church matters. Pulcheria and her brother may have had strong feelings against Jewish people. This might have led to laws against Jewish worship in the capital. Before Theodosius II, synagogues were protected by the government. Theodosius passed a law that banned building new synagogues and ordered existing ones to be destroyed. Pulcheria and Theodosius also ordered the punishment of a group of Jews after conflicts with Christians in Palestine.

Pulcheria was also known for her kindness and charity. She built many churches and buildings for the poor in and around Constantinople. Her building projects were so large that a whole area was named the Pulcherianai in her honor. Besides adding new churches and areas to the city, Pulcheria helped the Christian Church by bringing back bishops who had been removed. She also returned the remains of others, like Flavian, as holy relics for the church.

War with Persia

Pulcheria's time as Augusta also saw war with Sassanid Persia. The imperial court decided to go to war when the Persian King Yazdegerd I executed a Christian bishop. This bishop had destroyed a Zoroastrian altar. Theodosius sent troops to battle. A surviving inscription says that Theodosius was able to win because of his sister's vow of virginity. Theodosius used his sister's virginity as a way to inspire the troops, suggesting that God would help the Roman army because of her devotion.

Relationship with Aelia Eudocia

The relationship between Pulcheria and Aelia Eudocia, Theodosius II's wife, was difficult. The two women developed a rivalry, possibly because of their different backgrounds and religious beliefs. Eudocia was originally named Athenais and came from Athens. Her father was a Greek philosopher. When her father died, he left her with very little money. She visited her aunt in Constantinople out of need. On June 7, 421, Theodosius married Athenais, and her name was changed to Eudocia. Some scholars believe the rivalry between the two women was because Eudocia was jealous of Pulcheria's power at court.

Later, a historian named Theophanes the Confessor wrote that Eudocia and a chief minister, Chrysaphius, convinced Theodosius to rely less on his sister. This caused Pulcheria to leave the imperial palace in the late 440s and live in Hebdomon, a port near Constantinople. However, the exact timing of her departure does not fully support this story. The rivalry between Eudocia and Pulcheria might have become very strong when Eudocia went to the Holy Land. There, she openly supported a different Christian belief called Miaphysitism. Still, historical records from that time do not mention any major disputes between them during this period.

Pulcheria Becomes Empress

In 450, Theodosius II was hunting on horseback when he fell and injured his spine. He died two days later. What happened in the government right after his death is not fully clear. Some historians think Pulcheria ruled the Empire alone for about a month. During this time, she likely arranged Theodosius's public funeral. Since the emperor had no sons, Pulcheria could give royal power to someone outside the family by marrying him. She honored her vow of virginity even though she entered a legal marriage.

She married Marcian, a military officer and a close friend of the general Aspar. Marcian came from a humble background, unlike previous emperors. One condition of the marriage was that Marcian would respect Pulcheria's vow of virginity, and he did. To make the marriage acceptable to the Roman state, the church announced that "Christ himself supported the union." After their marriage, Pulcheria and Marcian had Chrysaphius, the chief minister, killed.

Church Conflicts and Councils

The First Council of Ephesus, held in 431 during Theodosius's reign, involved two rival bishops: Nestorius, the Archbishop of Constantinople, and Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria. Their disagreement was about the nature of Christ.

Nestorius wanted to reduce the importance of the term "Theotokos" (meaning "Mother of God") in the church. This went against Pulcheria's religious beliefs, as she was a virgin empress. A rivalry started between them, and Nestorius even tried to remove Pulcheria's image and her special altar cloth from the church altar. However, Pulcheria and her supporters, including Eusebius of Dorylaeum, fought back against Nestorius. Meanwhile, Cyril had already publicly condemned Nestorius. He wrote to the imperial court, saying that the "Theotokos" doctrine was correct. Theodosius decided to hold a council, giving Nestorius a chance to defend himself.

However, the Council, filled with Cyril's allies, condemned Nestorius's views. Nestorians, who could not attend the first council, held their own meeting to denounce Cyril. The emperor first tried to find a compromise but eventually sided with Cyril. The title of "Theotokos" was declared correct. Nestorius was removed from his position and sent to a monastery. So, Pulcheria's efforts against Nestorius were successful.

In 449, debates about Christ's nature started again. Theodosius called another council in Ephesus to solve the problems. At this council, Pope Leo I strongly supported Pulcheria's beliefs. He sent a long letter to Archbishop Flavian of Constantinople, arguing for Christ having two natures (fully God and fully human). During this council, Flavian was beaten and died from his injuries. He was later declared a saint.

Two years later, Pulcheria and Marcian called the Council of Chalcedon. About 452 bishops attended. This council condemned the teachings of both Nestorius and another figure named Eutyches. It combined the ideas of Cyril and Pope Leo I into one clear teaching. It also declared the "Theotokos" doctrine correct. The council reversed the decisions of the second Council of Ephesus, calling it the 'Robber Council'. According to historian Averil Cameron, the Council of Chalcedon "explained and clarified the Nicene Creed, which stated that God was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It also declared that Christ was always fully God and fully human after his Incarnation." Pulcheria and Marcian were praised at the council as the "new Constantine" and "new Helena." This council led to a lasting division between those who followed its decisions (Chalcedonians) and those who did not (Miaphysites).

Pulcheria spent her last years devoted to the "Theotokos." She had three churches in Constantinople dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary: the Monastery of the Panagia Hodegetria, the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae, and the Chalkoprateia.

Death and Being Honored

The exact day Pulcheria died in 453 is not known. She likely died in Constantinople. Her death saddened the people of Constantinople, as she had a strong connection with them.

Even in her final days, Pulcheria thought about how to help the poor of Constantinople. In her will, she made sure that all her remaining wealth would be given to the poor.

After her death, the church declared her a saint. Today, she is recognized as a saint by both the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Images for kids

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  The Trier Ivory, possibly showing Theodosius II and Pulcheria in a procession with holy relics.

Pulcheria brought many holy relics to churches in Constantinople. The Trier Adventus Ivory, now in Germany, might show one of these events. Historian Kenneth Holum describes the Ivory: "On the Ivory, Theodosius wears special clothes and leans slightly forward. But he is mostly part of the procession. The wagon moves towards a small woman dressed as an Augusta. She is shown placing the holy relics."

However, some people disagree with this idea. Another view is that the ivory shows Empress Irene from the eighth century, who helped renovate the church.

See also

In Spanish: Pulqueria para niños