Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/104

90 of numbers, than any could boast of in her time, and composed poems which were the admiration of her own and many succeeding ages. One mentioned by Socrates, was on a victory gained by Theodosius over the Persians: she translated into verse the five books of Moses, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the prophecies of Daniel and Zechariah. Photius speaks highly of the merit of the poetry, and fidelity of the translation; also a poem in three books, on the martyrs Cyprian and Justinia. This poem, almost entire, was found lately at Florence, in the library of Laurentius de Medicis. "Who would suspect," says Dupin, "to find a woman ranked among ecclesiastical writers? There have been learned women in all ages, but very few divines among them. It is still the more to be wondered at, that an empress, amidst the pleasures and luxuries of a court, should employ herself in writing on theology?"

In 438, the empress undertook a journey to Jerusalem, to perform a vow she had made on the marriage of her daughter. She made magnificent presents to the churches, not only of that city, but of all the others, in her route. At Antioch, not having forgotten the taste for declamation she acquired in the school of her father, seated on a throne of gold, enriched with precious stones, and in presence of the senate and people, she pronounced the eulogium of that city, which ended with two verses from Homer, signifying that she was proud of deriving her descent from the same source as the people of Antioch. Delighted with her munificence, and flattered by her courtesy, the inhabitants erected a golden statue of her in their senate house, and another of bronze in the museum.

Athenais, or Eudocia, had as yet interfered very little in public affairs, which were principally conducted by Pulcheria;