Eudokia, wife of Constantine V

Eudokia
Byzantine empress
Spouse Constantine V
Issue Nikephoros, Christopher, Niketas, Anthimos, Evdokimos, Saint Anthousa the Younger
Full name
Eudokia
Dynasty Isaurian Dynasty
Born 8th century
Died 8th century

Eudokia was the third Empress consort of Constantine V of the Byzantine Empire. According to the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor, Eudokia was a sister-in-law of Michael Melissenos, strategos of the Anatolikon Theme. Her sister and brother-in-law were parents to Patriarch Theodotos I of Constantinople.

Empress

Constantine V was Emperor since 741. His first wife Tzitzak gave birth to their only known son, Leo IV the Khazar, on 25 January 750. There is no further mention of her and by the following year, Constantine was already married to his second wife Maria. Lynda Garland has suggested Tzitzak died in childbirth.[1]

Maria died childless not long after her own marriage.[2] Though the year of the marriage of Constantine and Eudokia is not known, it can be placed between late 751 and 769. According to Theophanes, in April 1, 769 Constantine named her an Augusta. The following day two of her sons were named Caesars and a third made nobilissimus, which would place the ceremony several years following their marriage.

Theophanes points out the existence of a thrice-married emperor as unusual. On the occasion of the marriage of Leo VI the Wise to his own third wife Eudokia Baïana in 899, George Alexandrovič Ostrogorsky points that a third marriage was technically illegal under Byzantine law and against the practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church at the time. This would presumably also affect the legality of Eudokia's marriage.

Constantine was a fervent iconoclast and specifically targeted monasteries as strongholds of Iconodule sentiment. However Eudokia is recorded as a generous benefactor of the monastery of St. Anthusa of Mantineon and even named a daughter after its patron saint, which indicates Eudokia may not have shared his religious views.

Constantine was campaigning against Telerig of Bulgaria when he died on 14 September 775. Whether Eudokia survived her husband or not is unclear.

Children

Eudokia and Constantine V had six known children:

Royal titles
Preceded by
Maria
Byzantine Empress consort
c. 751775
Succeeded by
Irene of Athens

References

External links