called Athena before her conversion to Christianity, a celebrated lady, the daughter of Leonidas, a philosopher of Athens, who gave her such a learned education that at his death he left her only a small legacy, saying she was capable of making her own fortune. Having pleaded at Athens without success against her two brothers for a share in her father's estate, she carried her cause personally by appeal to Constantinople, recommended herself to Pulcheria, the sister of the emperor Theodosius the Younger, embraced Christianity, was baptized by the name of Eudokia, and soon afterwards married to the emperor. This union lasted a considerable time; but a difference having at length taken place, on account of the emperor's jealousy, excited by Chrysapius the eunuch, Eud... EUGENIE

Eugenie retired to Jerusalem, where she spent many years in building and adorning churches, and in relieving the poor. Dupin says that she did not return thence till after the emperor's death; but Cave states that she was reconciled to him, returned to Constantinople, and continued with him till his death, after which she again retired to Palestine, where she spent the remainder of her life in pious works. According to Dupin, she died in the year 460; according to Cave, in 459. The latter observes that on her deathbed she took a solemn oath, by which she declared herself entirely free from any stains of unchastity. She was the author of a paraphrase in heroic verse on the first eight books of the Old Testament, and of a great number of poems, which are no longer extant.