Arcadia

Arcadia (Greek: Άρκαδία; 3 April 400 – 444) was the third daughter of the Roman emperor Arcadius and Aelia Eudoxia and a member of the Theodosian dynasty.

Life Arcadias paternal grand-parents were Theodosius I and Aelia Flaccilla,while Arcadia's maternal grandfather was the general Flavius Bauto who had been a powerful figure in the court of emperor Valentinian II.

Arcadia, as daughter of the emperor held the title of nobilissima [English: most noble]

Arcadia's older sister, Flaccilla, was born in 397

On 1 May 408, Arcadias father Arcadius died. The siblings were now orphaned and essentially left without close relatives since the only ones remaining of the family were their uncle Honorius and aunt Galla Placidia. The children were then placed under the care of the eunuch and imperial palace chamberlain Antiochus.

Though her schooling was most likely not as extensive as that of her younger brother Theodosius education as the heir to the Byzantine emperor.

Anastasius, a friend of the Greek bishop Synesius of Cyrene, was appointed the tutor of the imperial children in around 405-407.

Following the example of her older sister Aelia Pulcheria Arcadia and their younger sister Marina ,took a vow of virginity in 414

Furthermore any potential husbands of the sisters could have gained influence over their young brother, or even posed a threat to him. Abstaining from marriage and forbidding men to come near the sisters also meant they would not give birth to any children who could potentially become rival heirs. ,the absence of such depictions of the sisters could indicate an active attempt to curtail any attempt of increased politicial significance on behalf of Arcadia and Marina or a perhaps a concentrated effort to focus power solely on Theodosius II and Pulcheria.

Its also is known that all three sisters were involved in heated debate with Nestorius , the arch-bishop of Constantinople regarding the complex theological and doctrinal matter of Mary as the mother of Jesus. Nestorius stance on the usage of Theotokos ("God-Bearer"), used for Mary, mother of Jesus, in order that Christ's human and divine natures not be confused, as he believed Christ was born according to his humanity and not his divinity,which Arcadia and her sisters found heretical and demeaned the status of women.

Nestorius was subsequently removed from his position and exiled.

After her brothers marriage to Aelia Eudoxia in 421, Arcadia moved out the palace to live at the coast in Hebdomon palace with Pulcheria,Marina and a circle of ascetic women.

Though removed from the Byzantine imperial palace and its court, the palace where the sisters lived was in close vicinity to the Magnaura hall where the Byzantine senate convened and where several emperors had been crowned (including their father Arcadius) and where traditionally the emperor would greet foreign ambassadors. The building therefore held great political and symbolic value which would have been beneficial for the sisters to keep close to the power.

Around 422/423, the empress Galla Placidia, their aunt arrived in Constantinople having to flee from Arcadias uncle (and Galla Placidias brother) Honorius .Though Galla Placidia was highly religious herself she seems to have joined in her nieces religious fervor in an effort gain Pulcherias trust and solicit Pulcheria to convince Theodosius II to intervene in the matter of their cousin Valentinian III to succeed to the throne of the Western Roman Empire.

Death Arcadia died in 444.

Constructions In Constantinople, she ordered the construction, near the Gate of Saturninus, of a monastery dedicated to Saint Andrew. The building, named also Rodophylion lay about 600 m. west of the gate. Heavily transformed, the church of the monastery is now the Koca Mustafa Pasha Mosque of Istanbul. , "St. Pulcherias victory over heresy" by Courtois Guillaum e and an engraving by Hieronymus Wierix.