General Notes

Name Prefix:<NPFX> St.
Name Suffix:<NSFX> Augusta
Pulcheria Roman empress, regent for her younger brother Theodosius II (Eastern Roman emperor 408-450) from414 to about 416, and an influential figure in his reign for many years thereafter.  Arcadius (reigned 383-408) and his wife, Eudoxia. Pulcheria assumed the regency upon her appointment as Augusta (empress) on July 4, 414, and the courtshe ruled was characterized by extreme piety and chastity. In 421 she arrangedthe marriage of Theodosius with Athenais, who assumed the name Eudocia. But the two women quarreled about 440, and Eudocia in 443 withdrew permanently to Jerusalem. The grand chamberlain Chrysaphius then acquired the dominant influence over Theodosius. When this adviser fell from power shortly before Theodosius' death (inJuly 450), Pulcheria again came into prominence. She selected Marcian as Theodosius' successor and agreed to become his nominal wife in order to preserve the Theodosian dynasty.  Oct. 25, 451, she attended the Council of Chalcedon and wasloudly acclaimed by the bishops assembled there. She builtseveral churches in Constantinople and left all her possessionsto the poor.