Eudokia (wife of Justinian II)
| Eudokia | |
|---|---|
| Empress of the Byzantine Empire | |
| Tenure | c. 685 – c. 695 |
| Born | 7th century |
| Died | 7th century Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Justinian II |
| Dynasty | Heraclian Dynasty |
Eudokia (Greek: Εὐδοκία, romanized: Evdókia) was the first empress consort of Byzantine Emperor Justinian II.[1][2][3]
Empress
[edit]The name and place of burial of Eudokia in the Church of the Holy Apostles was recorded in De Ceremoniis by Constantine VII. However little else is known of her. She is presumed to have been married to Justinian II during his first reign (685–695) and to have either predeceased him or divorced him by the time of his second marriage to Theodora of Khazaria in 703.
At some point before the Council in Trullo in 692, Eudokia appears to have aided in the migration of the bishop John and other Orthodox Cypriots to Cyzicus in an unknown capacity.[4]
A daughter of Justinian is reported by the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor and the Chronographikon syntomon of Ecumenical Patriarch Nikephoros I of Constantinople to have been betrothed to Tervel of Bulgaria between 704 and 705. Her name is presumed to have been "Anastasia", after her paternal grandmother, Anastasia. She is the only known child attributed to Eudokia.
Possible descendants
[edit]Modern genealogists have theorised Eudokia and Justinian II may have descendants among later Bulgarian and Byzantine royalty and nobility. The theories are based primarily on the proposed marriage of their daughter "Anastasia" to Tervel of Bulgaria in c. 704 – c. 705.[5][6] However, the primary Byzantine sources record only the betrothal (or promise) of a daughter to Tervel, without confirming a consummated marriage or subsequent offspring, and the Bulgarian royal genealogies of the period are described only in fragmentary fashion.[7][8] Thus, the evidence for any further descendants remains speculative than firmly documented.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ W. M. Ramsay (2010). The Historical Geography of Asia Minor. p. 433. "Constantino Porphyrogenitus... mentions that Eudokia, wife of Justinian II...”
- ^ Anne Commire (1994). Historic World Leaders: Africa, Middle East, Asia, Pacific. Gale Research Incorporated.
- ^ Garland, Lynda (2000-07-15). "Eudocia (First Wife of Justinian II )". An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors. Archived from the original on 2012-10-31.
- ^ "Council in Trullo, Canon 39". New Advent.
- ^ Mitrofanov, Andrey (2023). "The Lord's gift transformed into a tiger. A hypothesis regarding the fate of the Empress Theodora of Khazaria (705–711)". Byzantinische Zeitschrift. 116 (1): 165–184.
- ^ Garland, Lynda. "Roman Emperors - DIR Eudocia". roman-emperors.sites.luc.edu. Loyola University Chicago. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ^ Blogger, The Byzantium (2019-08-19). "The Complete Genealogy of Byzantine Emperors and Dynasties (Special Edition Article)". The Byzantium Blogger. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ^ Sophoulis, Panos. Byzantium and Bulgaria, 775–831. pp. 144–150. ISBN 978-90-04-20695-3.