In Her Own Words is a book about the poetry and influence of Aelia Eudocia, the fifth-century Byzantine empress, wife of Theodosius II. Until her death in 460, the empress was centrally important in Constantinople, the Greek East, and especially Jerusalem. Accounts of her life were written by contemporary male historians and have been studied and analyzed by modern historians. Professor Sowers has not written a biography of this influential woman, but instead offers a book that tells her story from a different point of view: from the surprisingly large body of her surviving poetry, allowing the empress's voice to speak.
As he studies Eudocia's poetry, Sowers not only describes its content but looks at its literary context and influence on the future, giving readers a full picture of the ancient texts. The empress's classical education shines through in these poetic compositions that open a window into the late antique world in which people were combining ancient forms and words with new Christian ideas. Professor Sowers's skillful analysis guides the reader through these works, and as appropriate to its purpose, the book is organized by Eudocia's surviving writings.
The first chapter focuses on two of Eudocia's works: a surviving line from a speech given in 438 in Antioch and a panegyric poem inscribed in a bath complex at Hammat Gader, the site of an ancient healing spring in Israel. These poems reveal several things about the empress: First, she was skilled in the late antique poetic technique of paraphrasing and repurposing poetry by Homer, which also reveals her impeccable educational background that allowed her to use the ancient texts. Second, the poems also show her engagement in the ancient practice of using her money to contribute to civic projects from buildings to charity. Finally, we see that Eudocia is rightly proud of these activities, as would be appropriate for a Theodosian empress.
In the second chapter, Sowers describes Eudocia's use of Homeric language to paraphrase the Bible; this is a significant analysis that shows how Christian and classical ideas merged. While the third-century church father Tertullian reprimanded Christians, writing: “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” Eudocia and other poets showed exactly how to be good Christians by combining religious works with ancient literature. Further, Eudocia indicated that her work was inspired by the Holy Spirit, so she raised Homeric language to that of the Bible, which is a striking blending of the old and new.
The final two chapters discuss Eudocia's longest work: an epic retelling of the Christian fictional romance The Martyrdom of Cyprian. This Cyprian (not to be confused with the real third-century bishop of Carthage) was a magician who converted to Christianity after his magic failed to seduce a Christian woman named Justa. Chapter 3 in Sowers's work is Justa's story, telling of a woman who uses Christian symbols to resist pagan magic. Chapter 4 is Cyprian's story, an apology in which he traces his history of studying magic as he crosses the eastern Mediterranean world from Athens to Egypt to Babylon and elsewhere before he converts to the Christianity that defeated him in his seduction of Justa.
Sowers gives a fine analysis of the literary antecedents for this fascinating tale, and better yet, he includes his own translation of Eudocia's poem in the appendix. Historians and literary scholars alike will find this elegant translation invaluable as a resource to study much about the fifth century, from the growth of Christianity to magical practices to the roles of women.
Professor Sowers's book not only explicates Eudocia's poetry, but the author convincingly argues that Eudocia engaged and “influenced literary depictions of late antique Christian women” (5). While Sowers largely restricts his analysis to literary figures, historians will find his work to be a fruitful starting point for understanding Eudocia's view of the real women in her life. For example, when Eudocia rewrites the Gospel story of the adulterous Samaritan woman at the well, she departs from some early Christian views that value only virgins as brides of Christ. Eudocia has the Samaritan woman become a bride of Christ in spite of her nonvirgin status. Was Eudocia as a married mother enhancing her own potential religious status?
In another example, Sowers contrasts Eudocia's portrayal of the strong Christian woman Justa in Cyprian's poem with prevailing literary ascetics who retreat to the desert to find holiness. Justa stays inside and becomes a holy ascetic woman within the closed doors of her home. Of course, Eudocia's model for this kind of holiness was her sister-in-law the Empress Pulcheria who established a rigorous Christian household in the great palace in Constantinople. In this example, we can perhaps see the influence of history on literature as well as the other way around.
These and many other intersections between history and literature are outside the scope of this book. Professor Sowers stays largely in the literary world as he focuses on Eudocia's poetry and the expression of her literary voice. However, this book will be an essential resource for anyone who wants to explore the history and theology of the period.
This is not a book for everyone. It presupposes a good deal of knowledge about the period and its literature. Sowers assumes readers know about euergetism, Monophysitism, Nestorianism, and other specialized terms, which allows him to waste no time explaining this sort of context. Instead, it is an excellent contribution to the field of late antique literature, and scholars working in this field cannot afford to ignore it.
