Aelia Eudoxia - Church Policy

Church Policy

Her role in the ecclesiastical affairs of her time is relatively well-recorded. She became a patron to the faction of the Christian Church accepting the Nicene Creed and she is reported by Socrates of Constantinople to be financing nighttime anti-Arian processions in Constantinople. She also presided in public celebrations over the arrival of new relics of Christian martyrs to the city and joined nightly vigils over the remains by herself. She is consistently reported to act alone in religious matters and to appear alone in public. Arcadius remarkably absent from public events.

An interpretation is that Eudoxia had adopted the role of patron of the Church previously belonging to the Augusti from Constantine I onwards. Her role would bring her into conflict with John Chrysostom, the Patriarch of Constantinople. Their initial opposition may have been his protests over the fall from power and execution of Eutropius.

During his time as Archbishop John adamantly refused to host lavish social gatherings, which made him popular with the common people, but unpopular with wealthy citizens and the clergy. His reforms of the clergy were also unpopular with these groups. He told visiting regional preachers to return to the churches they were meant to be serving — without any payout.

At about the same time, Theophilus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, wanted to bring Constantinople under his sway and opposed John's appointment to Constantinople. Being an opponent of Origen's teachings, he accused John of being too partial to the latter's teachings. Theophilus had disciplined four Egyptian monks (known as "the Tall Brothers") over their support of Origen's teachings. They fled to and were welcomed by John. John made another enemy in Aelia Eudoxia, the wife of the eastern Emperor Arcadius, who assumed (perhaps with justification) that his denunciations of extravagance in feminine dress were aimed at herself.

Depending on one's outlook, John was either tactless or fearless when denouncing offences in high places. An alliance was soon formed against him by Eudoxia, Theophilus and others of his enemies. They held a synod in 403 (the Synod of the Oak) to charge John, in which his connection to Origen was used against him. It resulted in his deposition and banishment. He was called back by Arcadius almost immediately, as the people became "tumultuous" over his departure. There was also an earthquake the night of his arrest, which Eudoxia took for a sign of God's anger, prompting her to ask Arcadius for John's reinstatement.

Peace was short-lived. A silver statue of Eudoxia was erected near his cathedral. John denounced the dedication ceremonies. He spoke against her in harsh terms: "Again Herodias raves; again she is troubled; she dances again; and again desires to receive John’s head in a charger," an allusion to the events surrounding the death of John the Baptist. Herodias was a member of the Herodian Dynasty. In the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, Herodias plays a major role in the execution of John the Baptist execution, using the dance of her daughter Salome before Herod Antipas and his party guests to ask for the head of the Baptist as a reward.

Once again John was banished, this time to the Caucasus in Armenia. Eudoxia would not survive long. Her seventh and last pregnancy ended in either a miscarriage or, according to pseudo-Martyrius, a second stillbirth. She was left bleeding and died of an infection shortly after. Pseudo-Martyrius celebrates her death and considers her a second Jezebel. The reference being to a Queen consort of the Kingdom of Israel whose conflict with Elijah, a prophet, was described in the Books of Kings.