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THE ROLES OF IMPERIAL WOMEN IN THE LATER ROMAN EMPIRE (AD 306-455) Belinda Washington Doctorate of Philosophy The University of Edinburgh 2015 Signed Declaration I hereby declare that that this thesis is entirely my own composition and work. It contains no material previously submitted for the award of any other degree or professional degree. Belinda Washington 1 CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. 7 MAIN TEXTS USED AND LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS AND TABLES ........................................................... 8 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 12 PART ONE CONTEXT .................................................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER ONE ROLE MODELS: EARLIER IMPERIAL WOMEN .............................................................. 20 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 20 1.1 NOMENCLATURE ............................................................................................................... 21 1.1.1 Honourable Women: Octavia and Livia .................................................................... 22 1.1.2 Augusta ................................................................................................................... 23 1.1.3 Other Honours ......................................................................................................... 27 1.1.4 Posthumous Honours .............................................................................................. 29 1.1.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 31 1.2 COINAGE ......................................................................................................................... 32 1.2.1 Numismatic Evidence .............................................................................................. 32 1.2.2 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 35 1.3 PATRONAGE ..................................................................................................................... 36 1.3.1 Acts of Building Patronage ...................................................................................... 37 1.3.2 Other Forms of Patronage ....................................................................................... 40 1.3.3 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 42 1.4 TRAVEL ........................................................................................................................... 43 1.4.1 Imperial Itineraries ................................................................................................... 43 1.4.2 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 46 1.5 LITERARY PORTRAITS ........................................................................................................ 47 1.5.1 Positive Portraits ..................................................................................................... 48 1.5.2 Negative Portraits .................................................................................................... 51 1.5.3 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 53 1.6 EXILES AND VIOLENT DEATHS ............................................................................................. 53 1.6.1 Loss of Imperial Protection ...................................................................................... 54 1.6.2 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 56 1.7 CHAPTER CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER TWO LATE ANTIQUE SURVEY ......................................................................................... 60 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 60 2 2.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................... 61 2.1.1 From Dyarchy to Tetrarchy to Dyarchy (284-324) ..................................................... 61 2.1.2 The Constantinian Dynasty and Jovian’s Reign ...................................................... 64 2.1.3 The Valentinianic Dynasty ....................................................................................... 69 2.1.4 The Valentinianic-Theodosian Dynasty ................................................................... 72 2.1.5 The Theodosian Dynasty and Immediate Successors .............................................. 76 2.1.6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 86 2.2 NOMENCLATURE ............................................................................................................... 87 2.2.1 Augusta .................................................................................................................. 87 2.2.2 Nobilissima Femina ................................................................................................. 91 2.2.3 Aelia ....................................................................................................................... 92 2.2.4 Literary Attestations: Augusta and Regina .............................................................. 93 2.2.5 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 95 2.3 MATERIAL EVIDENCE: COINAGE AND EPIGRAPHY ................................................................... 96 2.3.1 Coinage .................................................................................................................. 97 2.3.2 Epigraphy ............................................................................................................. 101 2.3.3 Conclusion............................................................................................................ 103 2.4 PATRONAGE................................................................................................................... 104 2.4.1 Building Patronage ............................................................................................... 104 2.4.2 Other Forms of Patronage ..................................................................................... 113 2.4.3 Conclusion............................................................................................................ 115 2.5 LOCATIONS .................................................................................................................... 115 2.5.1 Constantinian Locations ....................................................................................... 116 2.5.2 Valentinianic Locations ......................................................................................... 117 2.5.3 Theodosian Locations ........................................................................................... 119 2.5.4 Burials .................................................................................................................. 121 2.5.5 Conclusion............................................................................................................ 123 2.6 CHAPTER CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 124 PART TWO CASE STUDIES ........................................................................................................ 126 CHAPTER THREE POSITIVE PORTRAITS OF IMPERIAL WOMEN .......................................................... 127 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 127 3.1 WOMEN IN PANEGYRICS ................................................................................................... 129 3.2 JULIAN’S PANEGYRIC TO EUSEBIA. ...................................................................................