#Aelia Eudocia

[potnialabyrinthoio95]

Famous byzantine empresses drawn by Sato Futaba, author of the historical mangas "Utae, Erinna!" and "Anna Komnene":

Aelia Eudocia (401-460 AD) was the wife of emperor Theodosius II and a great poetess whose works are great examples of how her Christian faith and Greek heritage and upbringing were intertwined, exemplifying a legacy that the Roman empire left behind on the Christian world.

Theodora (c. 490/500-548 AD) was the wife of emperor Justinian I the Great. She was of humble origins and one of her husband's chief advisers.

Martina (date of birth unknwon- died after 641 AD) was the wife and niece of emperor Heraclius.

Irene of Athens (750/756-803 AD) was the wife of emperor Leo IV from 775 to 780, regent for her son Constantine VI from 780 until 790, co-ruler from 792 until 797, and finally sole ruler of the Eastern Roman empire from 797 to 802.

[gemsofgreece]

could you talk more about constantinople university?

Hey, I am sorry for the very late reply. This past week was very difficult. Anyway I assume you are asking about the main educational institution in Constantinople at the times of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire.

First of all, I should start this by saying a few basic things about the educational system in the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire had the best primary education in Europe and one of the best in the known world at the time. All peasant children were able to receive education, that is, both boys AND girls, which was unheard of in most other places. As a result peasant men and women attained a satisfactory level of education for the standards of the time.

Higher education was received mainly through private tutoring, which means that this was in fact a privilege of the rich and upper middle classes. Private tutors could also be hired by women who, even though they could not work in professions of a high academic profile (except they could become doctors for women), were still able to educate and improve on themselves just for the sake of it.

The University of Constantinople

When the Roman Empire was spilt in two in 395 AD, the Hellenized eastern part of the empire already had a few famed schools in some of its greatest cities (i.e Academy of Athens, the schools in Alexandria, Antioch, Beirut, Gaza). Those remained the hotspots for higher education for a few centuries, mostly until the Arab conquest in the 7th century.

In 425 AD Emperor Theodosius II founded the state funded Pandidakterion (Πανδιδακτήριον) in the Capitolium of Constantinople, what is supposed to be the original form of the University of Constantinople. According to some sources the concept of this school was actively supported by Theodosius's sister Pulcheria and his empress wife Aelia Eudocia the Athenian. The Pandidakterion was not exactly a university in the modern sense; it initially did not offer courses in various fields of sciences and arts from which students could choose their studies and career. The Pandidakterion's aim was to train specifically those who pursued a career as civil servants for the administration of the Empire and the secular matters concerning the Church. The courses taught were: Greek Grammar, Latin Grammar, Law, Philosophy (students were taught Aristotle and particularly Plato) and Rhetoric (with an emphasis in Greek rather than Latin rhetoric). That last one was considered the most challenging course. Pandidakterion did not teach Theology; this was the responsibility of the Patriarchal Academy. There are sources which list the Pandidakterion indeed as a university though and perhaps it is the closest thing to a university you could have gotten that early in time.

Meanwhile, in Constantinople and other large cities of the empire there were various academies of theology, arts and sciences but those were not universities. Also, as stated above, it was after the 7th century that Constantinople became the center of Byzantine higher education. In the 7th and the 8th century the Byzantine empire was attacked by Slavs, Arabs, Avars and Bulgars, loosening the focus to education. All this and the Iconoclasm seemed to have had adverse yet non permanent effects on the function of the university. The dynasty of the Isaurians (717 - 802) renamed "Πανδιδακτήριον" to "Οικουμενικόν Διδασκαλείον" (Ecumenical School).

The 9th century signifies a new prosperous era for higher education. There are some conflicting sources for that time - according to some the Pandidakterion was moved to the Palace of Magnaura and according to others this is an erroneous conflation of the Pandidakterion in the Capitolium with the new University of the Palace Hall of Magnaura (Εκπαιδευτήριον της Μαγναύρας). Whatever the case is, this renovated or entirely new school was founded by Vardas (842 - 867), uncle of Emperor Michael III. Mathematics, geometry, astronomy and music were added to the courses. The school then was managed by Leon the Mathematician (790 - 869) from Thessaly. Studying there was free.

In the 10th century, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennitos promoted the Pandidakterion and supported it financially.

In 1046 Constantine IX Monomachos reformed the actual Pandidakterion of the Capitolium into two large faculties operating in it; the "Διδασκαλείον των Νόμων" (School of Law) and the "Γυμνάσιον" (Gymnasion). The School of Law retained its purpose to train the civil servants whereas the Gymnasion taught all the other sciences (i.e philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, music). At the time Pandidakterion had a clear resemblance to a typical university. The principal of the Law School was called "Νομοφύλαξ" (nomophýlax), Guard of Law. A notable nomophylax was Ioannis VIII Xiphilinos (1010 - 1075) who was an intellectual, jurist and later Patriarch of Constantinople. The principal of the Gymansion was called "Ύπατος των Φιλοσόφων" (Consul of the Philosophers). Notable Gymnasion principals were Michael Psellos (1018 - 1078), one of the most broadly educated people to have lived in the Byzantine empire or the middle ages even. Psellos was a Greek monk, savant, courtier, writer, philosopher, historian, music theorist, poet, astronomer, doctor and diplomat. He was notoriously horrible at Latin although given the extent of his studies it is unclear to modern historians whether his Latin knowledge was genuinely poor or he played it up as an act of disdain (he was totally the type to do that). Another notable principal was Ioannis Italos (John the Italian), a half-Italian half-Greek from Calabria, who was Psellos' student in classical Greek Philosophy.

The function of the Pandidakterion as well as all high education in the Byzantine Empire was ceased after the capture of Cosntantinople by the Crusaders in 1204. The Byzantine royalty did however survive through the small Empire of Nicaea and they supported financially the private tutors. After the liberation of Constantinople by the Byzantines in 1261, there were efforts to restore the higher education institutions. Michael VIII Palaeologos, the emperor who recovered the city, reopened the university and appointed as principals Georgios Akropolitis, a historian and statesman, for the Law School and Georgios Pachymeris, a historian, philosopher, theologist, mathematician and music theorist, for the Philosophy School (Gymnasion).

However, the University never returned to its previous status and smooth function. It slowly passed fully under the Church's management in order to survive, while the rest of the teaching was again done by private teachers. This was the case all the way to the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Only one day after the capture of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II founded a madrasa as the primary educational institution of the city. Madrasa is an arabic name for an Islamic higher education religious institution. In 1846, this insitution was reformed into a university in the likes of the typical Western European universities. Until 1930 many old sources referred to this university confusingly as "University of Constantinople" because the city's name had not actually changed until that time. However, this institution was not the same to the Pandidakterion, the university of the Byzantine Age. In 1930, the city's name was officially changed from Constantinople to Istanbul and the university was renamed in 1933 to "Istanbul University" and it operates like this, being the first university of the Republic of Turkey.

What about the Pandidakterion though, the first University of Constantinople? Well, it ceased to exist, unlike the Patriarchal Academy which re-opened one year after the Fall of Constantinople, in 1454, refounded as the Phanar Greek Orthodox College, which operates to this day.

*Forgive any potential inaccuracies, some sources were really conflicting, especially about the possible Pandidakterion and the Magnaura School mix up.

[lilyseverina]

@just-late-roman-republic-things

I think for the women section in Byzantine, you can add Aelia Eudoxia, the wife of Arcadius, Aelia Pulcheria (problematic though, not sure if you want to include her) Aelia Eudocia, the wife of Theodosius II and Galla Placidia.

Anna Komnene who is the author of the Alexiad, a biographical work that accounts Alexios I Komnenos' reign, her father.

Her mother Irene Doukaina.

Empress Theodora, wife of Justinian the Great (I) (for obvious reasons and a famous one, not sure if you include her in your list.)

[hieromonkcharbel]

The venerable and God-bearing Father Symeon the Stylite or Simeon, also called "the Great" (c. 390-459) was a monk living in Syria. Stylite means one who lives on a pillar (style in Greek).

Symeon was born to a shepherd's family in the Cappadocian village of Sisan in Syria. When he was a youth, he was deeply moved after hearing the Beatitudes, and decided to join a monastery. His desire for fasting and asceticism grew quickly.

The abbot asked him to withdraw from the monastery due to his strict asceticism, fearing that the other brothers would imitate the extreme fasts. Symeon withdrew to live in an empty well in the nearby mountains. The monks searched for him and asked Symeon to return to the monastery, but he soon left again to continue his asceticism.

Crowds came to him to receive healing and to learn more about the Christian faith, but to avoid them, Symeon went up to a pillar and began to live there in a little cell, still devoted to prayer and fasting. He sat or stood in prayer for many weeks at a time, but he was hardly cut off from the world.

He wrote letters and even received visitors via a ladder. Many threatened and ridiculed him, but far more were inspired by his constant fasting and prayer. Those who were attentive to his teachings include the Emperor Theodosius II of Rome and his wife, Empress Aelia Eudocia, as well as the Righteous Genevieve of Paris. His letter to the Emperor Leo of Constantinople in favor of the Council of Chalcedon was highly respected. Many people came to listen to him and even to be baptized:

"Theodoret says that he became so famous in Rome that the Nomadic Arabs by the thousands believed in Christ and were baptized because of him; the King of Persia sent envoys to inquire into his way of life, and the Queen asked to be sent oil that he had blessed. He also was a great defender of sound doctrine, and confirmed the Orthodoxy of the Holy Council of Chalcedon for many who had been beguiled by the teachings of the Monophysites, including the Empress Eudocia, widow of Theodosius the Younger. After a life of unheard-of achievements and struggles, he reposed in peace at the age of sixty-nine, in the year 459."

His body was taken down three days after his death, and his relics were sent to Antioch.

[steliosagapitos]

~ "Mosaic of Aelia Eudocia Augusta; Late Greek: circa 401 – 460 AD), also called Saint Eudocia, who was a Greek Eastern Roman Empress by marriage to Byzantine emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450). Alexander Nevsky Cathedral of Sofia in Bulgaria." ~

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.7 (before 1930)

421 – Emperor Theodosius II marries Aelia Eudocia at Constantinople (Byzantine Empire). 879 – Pope John VIII recognises the Duchy of Croatia under Duke Branimir as an independent state. 1002 – Henry II, a cousin of Emperor Otto III, is elected and crowned King of Germany. 1099 – First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins. 1420 – Troops of the Republic of Venice capture Udine, ending the independence of the Patria del Friuli. 1494 – Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas which divides the New World between the two countries. 1628 – The Petition of Right, a major English constitutional document, is granted the Royal Assent by Charles I and becomes law. 1640 – Corpus de Sang in Barcelona: Catalan reapers rioted against Spanish Royal soldiers and officers, killing the Viceroy of Catalonia, Dalmau de Queralt. Escalation of hostilities between the Principality of Catalonia and the Spanish Monarchy, leading to the Reapers' War. 1654 – Louis XIV is crowned King of France. 1692 – Port Royal, Jamaica, is hit by a catastrophic earthquake; in just three minutes, 1,600 people are killed and 3,000 are seriously injured. 1776 – Richard Henry Lee presents the "Lee Resolution" to the Continental Congress. The motion is seconded by John Adams and will lead to the United States Declaration of Independence. 1788 – French Revolution: Day of the Tiles: Civilians in Grenoble toss roof tiles and various objects down upon royal troops. 1800 – David Thompson reaches the mouth of the Saskatchewan River in Manitoba. 1810 – The newspaper Gazeta de Buenos Ayres is first published in Argentina. 1832 – The Great Reform Act of England and Wales receives royal assent. 1832 – Asian cholera reaches Quebec, brought by Irish immigrants, and kills about 6,000 people in Lower Canada. 1862 – The United States and the United Kingdom agree in the Lyons–Seward Treaty to suppress the African slave trade. 1866 – One thousand eight hundred Fenian raiders are repelled back to the United States after looting and plundering the Saint-Armand and Frelighsburg areas of Canada East. 1880 – War of the Pacific: The Battle of Arica, the assault and capture of Morro de Arica (Arica Cape), ends the Campaña del Desierto (Desert Campaign). 1892 – Homer Plessy is arrested for refusing to leave his seat in the "whites-only" car of a train; he lost the resulting court case, Plessy v. Ferguson. 1899 – American Temperance crusader Carrie Nation begins her campaign of vandalizing alcohol-serving establishments by destroying the inventory in a saloon in Kiowa, Kansas. 1905 – Norway's parliament dissolves its union with Sweden. The vote was confirmed by a national plebiscite on August 13 of that year. 1906 – Cunard Line's RMS Lusitania is launched from the John Brown Shipyard, Glasgow (Clydebank), Scotland. 1917 – World War I: Battle of Messines: Allied soldiers detonate a series of mines underneath German trenches at Messines Ridge, killing 10,000 German troops. 1919 – Sette Giugno: Nationalist riots break out in Valletta, the capital of Malta. British soldiers fire into the crowd, killing four people. 1929 – The Lateran Treaty is ratified, bringing Vatican City into existence.

[ares-49789]

Capítulo 2: Bienvenidos a Hastam

El lux bajó su velocidad cuando llegó a una distancia preventiva del gran planeta rojo, Aelia miró la delgada atmósfera y navegó el espacio hasta divisar a lo lejos el satélite más cercano a Marte, Deimos

Años atrás, el satélite no era mucho más que un asteroide que había sido absorbido por el campo de atracción de marte para convertirse en el segundo, pero después de la guerra de la liberación espacial había sido entregado a Firis por las ciudades estado marcianas y claro, cierto general había tenido la gran idea de entregarle los mandos a su segundo, ahora el asteroide no solo brillaba con luz propia, sino que había duplicado en su tamaño gracias a la terraformación que había sufrido

El que había sido antes un mero asteroide ahora tenía una forma esférica casi perfecta y dominaba el cielo marciano con su presencia cuando pasaba, había tomado 12 años, pero el gran proyecto de Firis había terminado con las tres bases en la superficie de la luna cubiertas por domos de “cristal espacial” como lo había nombrado su creador casi 150 años antes, los nombres de estas bases eran Gladius, una base totalmente militar en la que cientos de pilotos eran entrenados al año para manejar las naves más avanzadas de la nación, Scutum, el lugar donde las naves de Firis eran almacenadas, desde las fragatas de 100 metros hasta las naves mineras de apenas 20, Scutum era la más reconocible pues contaba con un ascensor de modelo Attollo saliendo de su domo hasta la estación espacial Scutum, donde un total de 5 cruceros estaban recibiendo mantenimiento antes de salir hasta las colonias en Júpiter

Y luego estaba la joya de la corona, la base más grande de toda la luna, con un domo de 1km de radio unido a un puerto espacial, y no era lo único, pues a partir del domo, donde normalmente debería haber un terreno inhóspito el “suelo” estaba lleno de pequeñas aperturas cubiertas por cristal espacial, a través de las aperturas se podían ver miles, es posible que millones de luces distintas, pues Hastam, no era como las otras bases, no, Hastam había sido construída con la idea de usar la forma original del satélite en su favor, su creador había creado la base con la idea de que fuera totalmente subterránea, Aelia no se cansaba de la vista de las luces de colores saliendo de las ventanas, creando lo que parecía una Aurora boreal artificial cuando se reflejaban con el domo y la poca atmósfera que Deimos atrapaba con su gravedad

Aelia suspiró antes de recordar porqué estaba en el lugar, no era una visita de placer como muchas otras veces, no, esta vez estaba ahí por trabajo, no como Aelia Eudocia, la pareja del líder de Hastam, sino como Aelia Eudocia, capitana de las fuerzas armadas espaciales de Filii Maris y la piloto más rápida de la humanidad, aunque esa última parte era solo gracias a su nave. La mujer miró su consola de mandos y activó sus comunicaciones con el exterior

-Buenas tardes, Astra, ¿Puedo aterrizar?- Cuando Aelia dijo eso frente a ella apareció el holograma de una mujer de pelo azul y ojos dorados con una sonrisa blanca, vestía un vestido corto de color negro y miraba a la chica contenta

-Aelia, bienvenida de nuevo, tu puerto de aterrizaje de hoy es el 49, espero que no haya habido ningún problema con tu carga en el camino- La IA, cuya imágen actual era de unos 20 centímetros y flotaba sobre la consola de mando

-Todo ha ido fantástico, Astra, gracias por preguntar- contestó Aelia, Astra asintió y volvió a sonreír 

-Máximo te espera en la entrada del puerto, lleva ahí casi desde que Ceres le llamó hace una hora- Aelia sonrió y vió como la IA o más bien, su imágen holográfica desaparecía, la mujer colocó ambas manos sobre los mandos de la nave y comenzó el descenso a Hastam

.............................................................................................................

El lux aterrizó en el centro del puerto número 49, al igual que el resto de puertos de la base de investigación, este tenía una forma hexagonal con paredes de unos 30 metros de largo, Aelia vió como las luces del puerto comenzaron a brillar de color rojo y las seis láminas metálicas se desplegaban para sellar el puerto del vacío espacial antes de llenar el espacio con aire respirable, cuando las luces se volvieron azules Aelia se puso las botas y brazaletes especiales antes de bajar de la nave con la caja metálica entre sus manos

El suelo del puerto era de un color azul oscuro que contrastaba con el gris de las paredes de treinta metros de altura que lo rodeaban todo, este era uno de los puertos pequeños en Hastam, pues el más grande era capaz de tener hasta dos cruceros dentro a la vez, pero no era usado como un puerto, más bien como un dique seco espacial, Aelia siguió las líneas rojas que salían del centro del puerto hasta la puerta de este, esta ya estaba abierta, y en ella podía ver al que posiblemente era el hombre más famoso de Firis, Máximo Marco Astra Praetorian, pero para ella solo era el tonto de su novio, el mismo que había tardado más de 10 años en pedirle salir y solo porque ella secretamente había pedido a Astra que le recomendara hacerlo

Máximo tenía una sonrisa de oreja a oreja grabada en la cara desde que el Lux había entrado en el puerto, se había arreglado, con su pelo largo arreglado en una coleta alta y una bata de laboratorio que gritaba “nueva” a gritos, pues Aelia sabía lo mucho que las batas del hombre sufrían, además de eso, Máximo llevaba una camisa negra bajo la bata y unos pantalones arreglados, Aelia reconoció esa vestimenta como una de las tres que solía utilizar cuando iba a eventos importantes, en comparación, el mono de piloto de color naranja que llevaba Aelia sufría de poca elegancia

Aelia tuvo que sortear a uno de los mechas de carga que se dirigía a repostar al Lux antes de llegar a la puerta del puerto

-Buenas tardes querida- saludó Máximo con una pequeña reverencia, Aelia respondió con una pequeña risa antes de asentir

-Salvete Máximo- dijo antes de mirar detrás del hombre, donde Astra se había materializado una vez más, pero esta vez su forma era del tamaño humano, una cabeza más alta que la capitana- Astra

-Capitana Aelia- saludó la IA asintiendo- un placer volver a verte

-Todo mío Astra- contestó Aelia, la IA sonrió antes de desaparecer una vez más, Aelia sabía que la inteligencia artificial tenía muchas cosas que hacer en Hastam, después de todo la dirigía al completo, todas y cada una de las luces, funcionamiento de los robots, maquinaria automatizada, control de comunicaciones, vigilancia de todos y cada uno de los pasillos en el conocido como “satélite hormiguero” y cientos de tareas que Aelia no podría llegar a comprender ni en miles de años

-¿Es esa la caja?- preguntó Máximo, Aelia comprendió entonces porqué su querido novio había sonreído tanto, no era solo porque ella había aparecido, ni mucho menos, aunque seguro que eso había ayudado, no, era porque en las manos de la chica se encontraba la llave a una fuente de conocimiento a la que antes no había podido acceder ni por mucho que lo intentara ya que no podría simplemente parar toda la base para poner a Astra a descodificar la información de la cápsula, la chica sonrió antes de levantar la caja hasta la altura del pecho del investigador

-Si, lo es- contestó Aelia, Máximo tomó la caja con sus dos manos y luego miró a la chica rubia frente a él con una sonrisa más propia de un niño con un juguete nuevo en navidad que la de un héroe de guerra de 37 años que tenía a su cargo todo un satélite y era el principal impulsor de los avances tecnológicos de toda una nación, los ojos del hombre brillaron

-Sígueme- dijo, antes de salir corriendo por los pasillos, Aelia no pudo evitar sonreír antes de seguir al hombre por los pasillos blancos de la base hasta llegar a un ascensor que los llevó hasta el piso más bajo de todo Hastam en apenas unos segundos, de hecho, habían recorrido los pasillos a tal velocidad que no sabía cómo no se habían chocado con alguno de los robots que se movían por ellos o como Máximo no había derribado a algún investigador en su carrera

Llegaron al piso más bajo de toda la base, también conocido como el gran laboratorio de Máximo, accesible solo gracias al elevador central de la base y bloqueado por Astra a todos a excepción de las personas en las que el director de la base más confiaba, Máximo recuperó el aliento antes de salir del ascensor y Aelia vió como todas las luces del inmenso laboratorio se encendían, la sala inicial era solo la recepción del ascensor, un lugar en el que las visitas (si es que las había) quedarían totalmente anonadadas, ya que nada más salir del ascensor te encontrabas con una barandilla metálica que evitaba una caída de casi 20 metros y un globo holográfico de color negro de 10 m de diámetro que flotaba a cinco metros del borde, con luces alrededor, en ese momento estaba “apagado” pero Aelia sabía que una vez encendido, en ese globo se podía ver toda la información disponible en Deimos, es decir, era literalmente una herramienta omnipotente en la luna, una herramienta que Máximo podía usar en cualquier momento… Y que solo usaba para entrar a los ordenadores del complejo

Aelia y Máximo caminaron hasta el borde de la caída y la barandilla se plegó, dejando paso a una pequeña plataforma semicircular que los bajó hasta llegar a la altura del laboratorio de verdad, la gran sala tan grande como dos campos de fútbol profesional puestos el uno al lado del otro, lleno de máquinas y herramientas de todo tipo junto a un excesivo número de mesas de trabajo con artefactos aún por probar, terminar o diseñar, Aelia vió como un grupo de 8 drones rodearon a Máximo en cuanto puso pie en el laboratorio, eran sus ojos, orejas y manos en el lugar, no sabía como, pero eran capaces de hacer todo lo que máximo quería que hicieran de la forma que él quería en el momento que él quería sin una sola palabra, los drones flotaban alrededor de Máximo, no había signo de hélices en ellos, tenían forma esférica y lo único que los distinguía de una bola negra era el círculo rojo en su centro que siempre miraba hacia donde se movían

Los drones después de rodear a Máximo se colocaron en una formación de dos filas de cuatro drones cada una, el hombre colocó la caja metálica que contenía la clave de descodificación sobre los drones y estos la llevaron hasta el centro de la sala gigantesca, a un banco de trabajo colocado en una elevación cuadrada desde la que alguien podría observar todo el laboratorio con solo quedarse de pie en el centro

Máximo se subió a la elevación y Aelia vió como el hombre cerraba sus ojos, la mujer se colocó de pie a su lado y se preparó para el espectáculo, la orquesta que solo ella había visto, el verdadero funcionamiento del laboratorio, música comenzó a sonar alrededor de los dos humanos sobre la elevación, Aelia la reconoció como la canción favorita de su pareja, una versión de un grupo del siglo XXIII de la tan conocida thunderstruck 

Y con la música todo comenzó a moverse, los ocho drones volvieron junto a su dueño mientras nueve ordenadores gigantes salieron del mismo suelo alrededor de la elevación cuadrada, la caja había sido conectada a uno de ellos y rodeando a la pareja cientos de miles de ventanas holográficas comenzaron a aparecer, Aelia podía ver planos desconocidos, escritos en letras que no podía reconocer e incontables imágenes y vídeos de criaturas escapadas de todas las obras de ficción en las que podía pensar, desde animales parecidos a los que ya conocía con pequeñas diferencias capaces de despertar su valle inquietante hasta aberraciones que no se le podrían haber imaginado nunca, y todo eso…

-Todo eso en uno solo- murmuró Máximo, seguía con los ojos cerrados, aunque eso no parecía evitar que el hombre viera lo que tenía a su alrededor, porque sonreía, Aelia suspiró, ella no podía procesar nada de lo que estaba viendo, eran demasiados estímulos todos a la vez, pero máximo no, máximo lo estaba disfrutando y ella sabía que era por esa sed de conocimientos que tanto lo caracterizaba -Astra punto uno- dijo el hombre, en cuanto las palabras salieron de su boca a su lado apareció la inteligencia artificial en su forma humana, pero esta era distinta, en lugar del vestido negro que llevaba antes, esta Astra portaba un uniforme de cadete militar

-Dime- Contestó la IA, Aelia no pudo evitar mirar raro a la inteligencia artificial, había hablado de forma muy seca, no era como solía serlo, lo sabía porque máximo le había explicado muchas veces lo difícil que había sido crear un algoritmo para que las respuestas de Astra no sonaran demasiado bruscas o demasiado altas o bajas, parecía que esta Astra no tenía ese programa instalado o algo similar

-Necesito que recopiles toda la información dentro de las torres y las dividas en categorías distintas- pidió Máximo

-¿Cuántas categorías quieres crear?- preguntó la IA, Aelia levantó una ceja, eso era algo que Astra nunca preguntaría, tenía la capacidad de pensar por sí misma, no era una mera herramienta que contestara como una asistente personal

-Crea un total de 9 categorías, necesitamos Tecnología, Xenobiología, Historia, Xenofauna, Xenoflora, Geografía, Derecho, Política y Militar, marca esta última como de acceso restringido- pidió Máximo, abriendo sus ojos de nuevo para ver a Aelia 

-¿Qué le ha pasado a Astra?- preguntó la mujer, mirando a la IA holográfica entrecerrando los ojos, como si eso fuera suficiente para ver que era lo que le había pasado, Máximo siguió la mirada de la chica para examinar a la IA

-Es una nueva versión para Astra, bueno, más bien un prototipo, ya sabes, para hacer pequeñas mejoras a la versión final- explicó Máximo- es por eso por lo que es algo distinta a la Astra que tú conoces, Astra punto uno, saluda a Aelia- pidió el investigador, la inteligencia artificial dirigió su mirada a Aelia y sonrió antes de hacer una pequeña reverencia

-Encantada de conocerte, Aelia, Máximo habla mucho de tí mientras duerme- Esa última parte hizo que el investigador se arrepintiera de no poder tapar la boca de la ia para detenerla, Aelia no pudo evitar dejar salir una sonora carcajada, era posible que esta versión de Astra no tuviera una capacidad de comunicación tan superior como la principal pero seguía teniendo ese sentido de la verdad que solía volverse contra su creador en las cosas más vergonzosas

-Encantada punto uno- dijo la chica -Espero que me puedas contar más de las rutinas nocturnas de Máximo la próxima vez que hablemos- Aelia miró al pobre de su novio sonrojarse como un tomate y rió con malicia, el hombre tuvo que respirar hondo antes de fingir recuperar su compostura

-¿Astra punto uno, has terminado de clasificar la información?- preguntó Máximo, inconsciente de que las puntas de sus orejas seguían teñidas del color rosado causado por la vergüenza

-Afirmativo- la IA mostró una ventana holográfica similar a la de un menú con los 9 botones equivalentes a cada una de las categorías

-Llama a todo el mundo con prioridad alpha a la sala de conferencias para dentro de una hora- pidió el investigador, mirando el menú delante de él

-----------------------------------------------------------------

<- Capítulo anterior | Capitulo siguiente ->

Introducción | Arcos

[attichoney4u]

An awesome idea would be to make a Byzantine musical based on Byzantine empresses in a "Six: The musical" style, where each of the most notable Byzantine empresses (Theodora, Anna Komnene, Aelia Eudocia, Pulcheria, Irene of Athens, Zoe and Theodora Porphyrogennita etc) will narrate their lives, beliefs and choices in song form. That's one way to make the common people interested in them!

THEODORA OF BYZANTINE RANT:

OKAY! So I've been completely obsessed with this woman since I was in middle school, alright? I legit want 'purple is the noblest shroud' tattooed on my body forever at some point because what a fucking power quote. I submitted a google doodle in high school about her, alright? I'm a fan.

That being said, I am also recently obsessed with SIX: The Musical. For those of you unaware, it's a musical that tells the story of Henry the VIII's six wives. You know, like 'The Tudors?' Like 'That Boleyn Girl'? Like a gazillion other stories? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Six and it's portrayal of the wives as something separate from Henry.

YET YOU KNOW WHO HAS YET TO HAVE A MUSICAL, TV SHOW, OR EVEN JUST PUBLIC RECOGNITION????

I mean this woman was born to a bear keeper at a circus. became a child prostitute out of desperation, and ended up being empress of the fucking Byzantine Empire. Justinian didn't pass a single law after she died because she was the one really pulling the strings. This god damned power couple (and their genius general Belisarius -- who, side note, literally did the whole retire and return for one final battle thing) almost reunited Rome! THE FUCKING ROMAN EMPIRE!!! And if Theodora hadn't died, they might have!

Give this woman, who passed laws against sex trafficking, a movie I stg. I will write the damned thing! Give this woman, who got Justinian to change the law to marry her, a musical. I do not write songs. I do write stories and scripts. Get me a musically inclined partner and I'll have at it!

Why are we not talking about Theodora? Why are we not talking about her and Justinian's attempts to reunite Rome? Why are we not talking about her being a feminist and one of the first outspoken miaphysitists (early Christians) to rule? Her bad-fucking-ass speech to her husband and his court of advisors, who all wanted to flee, that ended with 'purple is the noblest shroud' and a conviction to stay and face a riot that they untimely succeeded in stomping out UNDER HER ORDERS??? The woman who Justinian saw as his intellectual equal despite her background and gender.

Where is her story? Where is her movie? Her TV show? Her musical?

You know what? Fuck it, this is a call to action. You write music? Shoot me a message, leave a comment. Let's write this thing. I'll produce it myself.

If you actually read this far, namaste, and thank you.

[venicepearl]

Aelia Eudocia Augusta (c. 401 – 460 AD), also called Saint Eudocia, was an Eastern Roman empress by marriage to Emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450), and a prominent Greek historical figure in understanding the rise of Christianity during the beginning of the Byzantine Empire. Eudocia lived in a world where Greek paganism and Christianity existed side by side with both pagans and non-orthodox Christians being persecuted. Although Eudocia's work has been mostly ignored by modern scholars, her poetry and literary work are great examples of how her Christian faith and Greek heritage/upbringing were intertwined, exemplifying a legacy that the Roman Empire left behind on the Christian world.

[theodosianwomensuggestions]

Set your little brother up with the charming girl whose brothers stole her inheritance.

- Pulcheria

[jennablackmorebooks]

do you ever create a character and then years later learn of a historical figure with numerous coincidences in naming/mythological references/highly specific important dates/ &c. and you just 

how was i supposed to know that her name was a variant of a saint’s and also her birthday is the saint’s feast day or smth and they both have connections to names that reference Athena

[elucubrare]

lipstick for Aelia Eudocia, empress consort to Theodosius II

She's a busy lady! She doesn't have time to pick shades. Invariably: Marc Jacobs Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a very boring but pretty pink, at court, and chapstick when she's in private.

[dorlaiel]

Byzantine mosaic... Empress Aelia Eudocia Augusta, wife of Theodosius II. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, Bulgaria...

[hieromonkcharbel]

The venerable and God-bearing Father Symeon the Stylite or Simeon, also called "the Great" (c. 390-459) was a monk living in Syria. Stylite means one who lives on a pillar (style in Greek).

Symeon was born to a shepherd's family in the Cappadocian village of Sisan in Syria. When he was a youth, he was deeply moved after hearing the Beatitudes, and decided to join a monastery. His desire for fasting and asceticism grew quickly.

The abbot asked him to withdraw from the monastery due to his strict asceticism, fearing that the other brothers would imitate the extreme fasts. Symeon withdrew to live in an empty well in the nearby mountains. The monks searched for him and asked Symeon to return to the monastery, but he soon left again to continue his asceticism.

Crowds came to him to receive healing and to learn more about the Christian faith, but to avoid them, Symeon went up to a pillar and began to live there in a little cell, still devoted to prayer and fasting. He sat or stood in prayer for many weeks at a time, but he was hardly cut off from the world.

He wrote letters and even received visitors via a ladder. Many threatened and ridiculed him, but far more were inspired by his constant fasting and prayer. Those who were attentive to his teachings include the Emperor Theodosius II of Rome and his wife, Empress Aelia Eudocia, as well as the Righteous Genevieve of Paris. His letter to the Emperor Leo of Constantinople in favor of the Council of Chalcedon was highly respected. Many people came to listen to him and even to be baptized:

"Theodoret says that he became so famous in Rome that the Nomadic Arabs by the thousands believed in Christ and were baptized because of him; the King of Persia sent envoys to inquire into his way of life, and the Queen asked to be sent oil that he had blessed. He also was a great defender of sound doctrine, and confirmed the Orthodoxy of the Holy Council of Chalcedon for many who had been beguiled by the teachings of the Monophysites, including the Empress Eudocia, widow of Theodosius the Younger. After a life of unheard-of achievements and struggles, he reposed in peace at the age of sixty-nine, in the year 459."

His body was taken down three days after his death, and his relics were sent to Antioch.

[womenauthorsinhistory]

Aelia Eudocia Augusta(c. 401–460 AD), also called Saint Eudocia, was a Greek Eastern Roman Empress by marriage to Byzantine emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450), and a prominent historical figure in understanding the rise of Christianity. Eudocia lived in a world where Greek paganism and Christianity existed side-by-side with both pagans and non-Orthodox Christians being persecuted.[1] Although Eudocia's work has been mostly ignored by modern scholars, her poetry and literary work are great examples of how her Christian faith and Greek heritage/upbringing were intertwined, exemplifying a legacy that the Roman Empire left behind on the Christian world. While Eudocia could have written a lot of literature after leaving the court, only some of her work survived. Eudocia "wrote in hexameters, which is the verse of epic poetry, on Christian themes."[24] She wrote a poem entitled The Martyrdom of St. Cyprian in three books, of which 900 lines survived, and an inscription of a poem on the baths at Hamat Gader.[24] Her most studied piece of literature is her Homeric cento, which has been analyzed recently by a few modern scholars, such as Mark Usher and Brian Sowers. Eudocia is an understudied poet and has been neglected due to "lack of complete and authoritative text." #womenartist #womanwriter #nevertheless she persisted #girlsruntheworld #girlscandoanything #womenempowerment #femaleempowerment #womenartistsinhistory #womenauthorsinhistory #women #womenwriters #womenwritersofinstagram #womenshistory #history #eudocia #aeliaeudocia #greekwriters #emperess #christianwriters #christianwomen #saint https://www.instagram.com/p/BosqhZyAlu8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yhgmu6w2q23

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.27 (before 1940)

380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity. 425 – The University of Constantinople is founded by Emperor Theodosius II at the urging of his wife Aelia Eudocia. 907 – Abaoji, chieftain of the Yila tribe, is named khagan of the Khitans. 1560 – The Treaty of Berwick is signed by England and the Lords of the Congregation of Scotland, establishing the terms under which English armed forces were to be permitted in Scotland in order to expel occupying French troops. 1594 – Henry IV is crowned King of France. 1617 – Sweden and the Tsardom of Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea. 1626 – Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after leading the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in North Carolina breaks up a Loyalist militia. 1782 – American Revolutionary War: The House of Commons of Great Britain votes against further war in America. 1801 – Pursuant to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Washington, D.C. is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. 1809 – Action of 27 February 1809: Captain Bernard Dubourdieu captures HMS Proserpine. 1812 – Argentine War of Independence: Manuel Belgrano raises the Flag of Argentina in the city of Rosario for the first time. 1812 – Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire. 1844 – The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti. 1860 – Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that is largely responsible for his election to the Presidency. 1864 – American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia. 1870 – The current flag of Japan is first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships. 1881 – First Boer War: The Battle of Majuba Hill takes place. 1898 – King George I of Greece survives an assassination attempt. 1900 – Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronjé at the Battle of Paardeberg. 1900 – The British Labour Party is founded. 1900 – Fußball-Club Bayern München is founded. 1902 – Second Boer War: Australian soldiers Harry "Breaker" Morant and Peter Handcock are executed in Pretoria after being convicted of war crimes. 1916 – Ocean liner SS Maloja strikes a mine near Dover and sinks with the loss of 155 lives. 1921 – The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna. 1922 – A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett. 1932 – The Mäntsälä rebellion begins when members of the far-right Lapua Movement start shooting at the social democrats' event in Mäntsälä, Finland. 1933 – Reichstag fire: Germany's parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire; Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist claims responsibility. 1939 – United States labor law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in NLRB v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. that the National Labor Relations Board has no authority to force an employer to rehire workers who engage in sit-down strikes.