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An Icon of Ugliness—Eutropius the Eunuch

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An Icon of Ugliness—Eutropius the Eunuch RIHA Journal 0226 | 30 September 2019 An Icon of Ugliness—Eutropius the Eunuch Susanna Elm Abstract Theoretically, u line!! a! ae!thetic concept—more than the ab!ence o# beauty— $r!t came to the #ore in the 19th century% Thi! contribution u!e! the late &atin poet 'lau(ian (370–404 '-. to !ho/ that hi! in0ective epic a ain!t the con!ul an( eunuch -utropiu! )(% 399 '-. alrea(y create( a notion o# u line!! throu h the 1uxtapo!ition o# the splen(i( con!ular robe! an( the "u line!!3 o# Eutropiu!4! bo(y% 516 The year wa! 399 '-, the venue 'on!tantinople% Ima ine the ne/ly electe( con!ul o# the -a!tern empire, cla( in the trabea, the con!ular robe heavy with ol( an( litterin multicolore( 1e/el!, (rape( with art#ully embroi(ere( ban(! )clave!), hol(in the !cipio, or !cepter o# o7ce, an( carrie( by a !pecial carria e%1 Hi! name an( that o# hi! collea ue in the 8e!t, 9anliu! Theo(oru!, will be in!cribe( in 3the #a!ti o# the entire worl(3 a! be$ttin the hol(er o# the hi he!t o7ce, !urpa!!e( only by the !acre( 'hri!tian emperor!, Arca(iu!, t/enty:two, in 'on!tantinople, an( hi! brother Honoriu!, #ourteen, in 9ilan%2 Thi! -a!tern con!ul ha( alrea(y receive( an 1 'lau(ian, ;n the I< 'onsulate o# Honoriu! =6=:=6*, =6,-601> ;n Stilicho 2%339 )?uote! #rom 'lau(ian #ollo/ the e(ition by John @% Hall, 'lau(iu! 'lau(ianu!% ;pera, &eipAi 19B=> an( the [amen(e(] translation by 9aurice Clatnauer, 'lau(ian, 2 0ol!%, 'ambri( e, 9A 1922, 0ol% 1, 13B-229.> 'o(e2 Theo(osianu! 1,%12%1 )e(% Theo(or 9ommsen an( Caul 9artin 9eyer, Theo(osiani libri D<I cum constitutionibu! Sirmon(iani! et le e! no0ellae a( Theo(osianum pertinente!, 2 0ol!%, @erlin 190=.> 9ichael Roberts, The Je/ele( StyleE Coetry an( Coetics in &ate Anti?uity, Ithaca 19B9, 111-11=, /ith $ % 23 on p% 113 #rom the 'alen(ar o# Filocalu! (epictin the consul Gallu!> 9ichael He/ar, "Spinnin the TrabeaE 'on!ular Robe! an( Cropa an(a in the Cane yrics o# 'lau(ian", inE Roman Dre!! an( the Fabrics o# Roman 'ulture, e(!% Jonathan -(monson an( Alison Ieith, Toronto 200B, 21*-23*> i(%, 'lau(ian, Cane yricu! (e Se2to 'onsulatu Honorii Au usti, ;2#or( 1996> DirJ SchlinJert, ;r(o senatoriu! un( nobilita!% Die Ionstitution (e! Senatsa(el! in (er SpKtantiJe, Stutt art 1996, 162-1**% 2 Ammianu! 9arcellinus, Re! estae 29%2%1= (e(% &oeb 'lassical &ibrary 5&'&6 331, 222-22,.E con!ulare! post scipione! et trabea! et #astorum monumenta mun(ane> #or the name o# the secon( con!ul see 9arcellinu! 'omes, 'hronicon, a( annum 399, ?uotin 'lau(ian, In -utropium 1%B (e(% Theo(or 9ommsen, 'hronica minora saec. I<, <, <I, <II, 0ol% 2, @erlin 1B9,, 3*-10B 5L 9onumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctore! anti?uissimi, 116> The 'hronicle o# 9arcellinu!% A Translation an( 'ommentary by @rian 'roJe 5/ith a Repro(uction o# 9ommsen4! -(ition o# the Te2t6, Sy(ney 199=.> #or 9anliu! Theo(orus, !ee John F% 9atthe/s, RIHA Journal 0226 | 30 September 2019 extraor(inary honor in the prece(in year, /hen the emperor ha( rante( him the title patriciu!, a title that (i( not corre!pon( to a !peci$c o7ce but !imply expre!!e( hi he!t e!teem%3 526 Such e!teem wa! well merite(% In the two prece(in year! the newly minte( con!ul ha( repelle( Gothic an( Hunnic incur!ion! into A!ia 9inor an( Armenia, but hi! a!!ociation /ith an( !ervice #or the imperial court ha( been o# #ar lon er (urMe% , Alrea(y the emperor Theo(o!iu! I (379–395), Arca(iu!N an( Honoriu!N! #ather, ha( entru!te( him with (elicate (iplomatic mi!!ion!%= 8hile in Antioch on one o# tho!e mi!!ion!, he ha( encountere( a certain a!cetic an( prie!t calle( John, /ho!e elo?uence !o impre!!e( the later con!ul that he ma(e him bi!hop o# 'on!tantinople a ain!t con!i(erable re!i!tance, above all #rom Alexan(ria, but with the !upport o# the imperial court% Further, !hortly a#ter the (eath o# Theo(o!iu! in 395, he ha( arran e( Arca(iu!N! marria e to a certain -u(oxia%6 So, there he i!E a patriciu! an( 8estern Aristocracies an( Imperial 'ourt AH 36,+,2=, ;2#or( 19*=, repr% 1990, 2=B-261% 3 A% H% 9% Jones, The &ater Roman -mpire 2B–602E A Social, -conomic, an( A(ministrati0e Sur0ey, 3 0ol!%, ;2#or( 196,, 0ol% 1, 1*6 on the patriciu!> Ceter Guyot, -unuchen al! Skla0en un( Frei elassene in (er riechisch-rOmischen AntiJe, Stutt art 19B0, 136-13*> SchlinJert, ;r(o !enatoriu! un( nobilita!, 2,B-2=0> Hel a Scholten, Her -unuch in IaisernKhe% Pur politischen un( soAialen @e(eutun (e! praepositu! sacri cubiculi im ,% un( =% Jahrhun(ert n% 'hr%, FranJ#urt 199=, ,6:=0% , Alan 'ameron, 'lau(ian% Coetry an( Cropa an(a at the 'ourt o# Honoriu!, ;2#or( 19*0, 12,-129E 132> 'lau(ia Tiersch, Johanne! 'hrysostomu! in 'onstantinople )39B+,0,.% 8eltsicht un( 8irJen eine! @ischo#! in (er Hauptsta(t (e! ;strOmischen Reiche!, TQbin en 2002, 31:,1% = Calla(ius, Historia &ausiaca 3= (e(% CG 3,.> Historia 9onachorum in Ae ypto 1%6, (e(% an( tran!% An(rM:Jean Festu iRre, Historia 9onachorum in Ae ypto, @russel! 1961.> 'lau(ian, In -utr% 1%311-316% 6 Calla(ius, Dialo ue =%==:=* (e(% S' 33,. i! the mo!t (etaile( account o# -utropiu!N! eSort! to brin John to 'onstantinople, sparJe( by -utropiu!N! encounter /ith John /hile in Antioch to prepare #or the resistance a ainst Hunnic incursion! into Asia 9inor% The #uneral oration by C!%:9artyrius, clo!er to the actual e0ents, (oe! not mention -utropiu! in that conte2t> see Funerary Speech #or John 'hrysostom, tran!% Timothy H% @arne! an( Geor e @e0an, &i0erpool 2013, 2-3% See also Socrate! Scholasticus, Historia ecclesiastica 6%2 (e(% CG 6*.> SoAomen, Hist% eccl% B%2 )e(% CG 6*.> Theo(oret o# 'yrrhus, Hist% eccl% =%2* (e(% CG B2.% 8en(y 9ayer, "John 'hryso!tom a! @ishopE The <ie/ #rom Antioch", inE Journal o# -cclesiastical History == (200,), ,==:,66, esp% ,=6, caution! a ainst trustin Calla(iu! too much% See also ea(%, 3John 'hryso!tom a! 'risi!:9ana er% The Tear! in 'onstantinople3, inE Ancient Je/ish an( 'hristian Te2t! a! 'risi! 9ana ement &iterature, e(!% Da0i( '% Sim an( Cauline Allen, &on(on 2012, 12B-1,3% ;n pa e 13* 9ayer call! -utropiu! a non:'hristian /ithout #urther comment% I am not sure /hy, other than perhap! refectin the #act that he sou ht to taJe a/ay the 'hurchN! ri ht to asylum, an attempt SoAomen, Hist% eccl% B%*%3, calls impiou!% The #act that John also re#ers to him a! an enemy o# the 'hurch (oes not maJe RIHA Journal 0226 | 30 September 2019 Roman con!ul, a 0ictoriou! military comman(er, a member o# the !acre( council, the !acer comitatu!, a con!ummate palace in!i(er an( tru!te( a(vi!or o# the 'hri!tian imperial couple, an( a vital !upporter o# John 'hryso!tom, the bi!hop o# 'on!tantinople )(% 407 AH.E an e2emplary repre!entative o# the hi he!t elite% Ho/ (o we picture himV 8hat woul( he wear /hen not cla( in the 1e/el:encru!te( trabea, what mi ht he ha0e looJe( liJeV Here i! one de!criptionE Hi! !Jin ha( rown loo!e /ith a e> hi! #ace, more wrinJle( than a prune, ha( #allen in becau!e o# the (eep line! in hi! cheeJ!% &e!! (eep (oe! the plou h cut the #allo/! in the $el(!, 5le!! (eep are6 the #ol(! wrou ht in the !ail! by the /in(% &oath!ome rub! ate away hi! hea( an( bare patche! appeare( ami( hi! hair% It wa! a! thou h clump! o# (ry barren corn (otte( a !un:parche( $el(, or a! i# a !/allo/ /ere (yin in winter !ittin on a branch, moultin in the #ro!ty /eather% Truly, that the outra e to the trabea mi ht one (ay be even reater, Fortune a((e( to her luxury thi! bran( (nota. to hi! #orehea(, thi! (e#orme( #ace% 5W6 Hi! pallor an( nearly bare bone! 5W6 rou!e( #eelin ! o# horror 5W6 an( hi! pale complexion an( emaciate( bo(y oSen(e( all, scarin chil(ren, di! u!tin tho!e who sat at table [with him], 5W6 terri#yin a! with an e0il omen tho!e that met him 5W6 liJe a trouble!ome corp!e or an ill:omene( gho!t%* 536 An( here i! the characteriAation o# the rulin con!ul! o# the year 399 in the !uccinct wor(! o# the sixth:century 'hronicle o# Marcellinu!E 12th 5in(iction, the con!ulate o#6 Theo(oru! an( -utropiu! the -unuch% Thi! -utropiu! o# all eunuch! wa! the $r!t an( the la!t con!ul% 'oncernin him the poet 'lau(ian !ay!E 4all portent! yiel( their place /hen a eunuch i! ma(e con!ul [omnia ce!!erunt eunucho con!ule mon!tra64, him not a 'hristian—the 3'hurch3 in 'onstantinople al/ay! ha( enemie!> John 'hrysostom, In -utropium )e(% CG =2%391-396), here CG =2%39, ll 2*-2B (tran!% 8en(y 9ayer an( Cauline Allen, John 'hryso!tom, &on(on 2000, 13*-13B.% The e(ict i! not e2tant% For a more (etaile( analysis o# John 'hrysostomNs sermon see 8en(y 9ayer, "The Au(ience(s) #or Catristic Social Teachin E A 'a!e Stu(y", inE Rea(in Catristic Te2t! in Social -thics, e(!% Johan &eemans, @rian 9atA an( Johan <erstaeten, 8ashin ton, H%'% 2011, B3-9*E 92-9,% * 'lau(ian, In -utr% 1%110-123E Iam?ue ae0o la2ata cutis, sulci!?ue enarumX corruerat passa #acie! ru osior u0aEX fa0a minu! pre!!o fn(untur 0omere rura,X nec 0ento sic 0ela tremunt% miserabile turpe!X e2e(ere caput tineae> (eserta patebantX inter0alla comaeE ?uali! sitientibu! ar0i!X ari(a ieiunae se e! interlucet aristaeX 0el ?uali! eli(i! pluma labente pruini!X arbori! inmoritur truncoXbrumali! hirun(o%X scilicet ut trabei! iniuria cresceret olim,X ha! in #ronte notas, hoc (e(ecu! a((i(it ori!X lu2uriate Fortuna suaeE cum palli(a nu(i!X ossibu! horrorem (omini! praeberet ima oX (ecolor et macie! occursu lae(eret omnes,X aut pueri! latura metu! aut tae(ia mensi!X aut crimen #amuli! aut proce(entibu! omen,X et nihil e2hausto caperent in stipite lucri% Hel e Sch/ecken(iek, 'lau(ian! In0ekti0e e en -utrop% -in Iommentar, Hil(esheim 1992> Jacqueline &on , 'lau(ianN! In -utropium, or, Ho/, 8hen, an( 8hy to Slan(er a -unuch, 'hapel Hill 1996, 1> 'atherine 8are, 'lau(ian an( the Roman -pic Tra(ition, 'ambri( e 2012, 3-6% RIHA Journal 0226 | 30 September 2019 ?uotin the very poem ju!t cite(%B 5,6 The poet 'lau(ian (370–404 '-.
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