Among the choir of saints of our Church there are also many kings, emperors and members of palaces, who were not alienated by power. They included worldly glory in the glory of God and in the ministry of the Church. That is why they were declared saints for their contribution to the church body. There was one of them Saint Pulcheria, the pious Augusta of Byzantium.
He was born in Istanbul 399. She was the eldest daughter of the emperor Arkadiou (395-408) and of of auspiciousness and his sister Theodosius II (408-450). He had the honor of receiving Holy Baptism from him Saint Chrysostomos. Although she was surrounded by the opulence of the palaces and socialized with scheming palatians, she had cultivated in her soul a deep faith in God and acquired rare virtues.
After the death of Arkadiou's father, the 408, Pulcheria, only nine years old, assumed the guardianship of her seven-year-old brother Theodosius II, who assumed the imperial throne, as their father's rightful successor. Despite her childhood, she was distinguished by rare maturity and prudence. The first thing she did was to mold her brother's character so that he would reign godly. He served him with devotion and tried to instill in his soul the principles of the Christian faith and cultivate in him the evangelical virtues. He wanted him to stand out from the other rulers of his time, who were drunk with power and treated their subjects with arrogance and tyranny. He considered the royal and any other authority as a ministry, bearing in mind the words of Christ: «whoever wants to be great among you, let him be your minister, and whoever wants to be first among you, let him be a servant of all" (Mark 9,42-44).
But Theodosius did not have the required qualifications to carry out his high duties, in contrast to Pulcheria, who was distinguished for her capacity, her wisdom and her excellent education. She possessed a rare physical beauty and a very rich mental world. She studied the sciences of her time and spoke Greek as well as Latin. He admired Greek culture and studied the ancient Greek philosophers. She was admirable for her gentleness, her kindness, her tolerance, her modesty and her evident love for the people.
The 414, at the age of just sixteen he emerged Augusta, with the will of her brother Theodosios. He was the real ruler of the vast Byzantine state, until the end of the reign of Theodosius (450), which marked days of glory, thanks to co-ruling with the dynamic and sober Pulcheria. She dedicated herself completely to God and the people. She decided to remain a virgin for the rest of her life and therefore constantly wore the solitary hood. He prayed and fasted, not partaking of the luxurious tables of the palace. At the same time, she began the reorganization of the state under her supervision. He reorganized the army, ensuring external security and welfare for the subjects. Every decision was preceded by a fervent prayer to God. She made sure that she had pious and expert advisers close to her throughout the years of her rule.
She exercised great influence over her brother the emperor Theodosius, lacking, as we have mentioned, the qualifications and determination, in which he listened and was received, and had in her person unlimited confidence. And the people loved her dearly, for her prudent and pro-popular governance.
Her love for Greek education and Greek culture prompted her to marry Theodosios, supposedly the daughter of the Athenian philosopher Leontius Athenais, which arrived in Constantinople, was baptized and named Evdokia. The purpose of Pulcheria was to transmit Greek culture to Vasilevoussa. And indeed Athena brought with her hundreds of philosophers and teachers, who turned Constantinople into "little Athens". A very important event was the establishment, the 425, with the care of Pulcheria and the help of Eudokia, the famous "University" (University) of Constantinople, the first organized university in Europe and the world! Also an important event was the establishment of the Greek language as the official language of the state. These two great events were the beginning of the Hellenization of the Roman state.
Pulcheria also took the lead in guarding the Orthodox faith. With her own dynamic intervention, she succeeded in persuading Theodosius to summon her Third Ecumenical Council (431), which condemned his heresy Nestorius. He also made sure to build splendid temples, such as their temple Blacherna in Constantinople and monasteries, such as Mones Tight and Xiropotamou on Mount Athos. He founded many noble institutions (hospitals, poorhouses, orphanages, etc.), where thousands of poor people found relief. The 438 he saw to it that a great injustice committed by Arkadios and Eudoxia's parents was removed. To restore his memory Saint John Chrysostom and to take his remains to Vasilevousa, begging the saint on his knees to forgive his persecutors, her parents.
The heretical Nestorians hated her to death and succeeded with slanders in removing her from the throne, but only for a while, because the 450 Theodosios died and she remained, as the only legitimate heir to the throne. Being 52 years old, she married the pious senator Marciano (450-457), to whom she surrendered the throne, on the condition that he respect her decision to remain a virgin. He respected her decision, because he was as godly as Pulcheria. In 451 they summoned her XNUMXth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon, which condemned his heresy monophysitism. Marciano and Pulcheria had a short reign, which they devoted to the support of Orthodoxy and charity.
The 453 at the age of fifty-four Pulcheria slept peacefully, dedicating her wealth to the poor. The entire empire mourned her and the Church proclaimed her a saint. Her memory is celebrated on 10 Σεπτεμβρίου. Marciano fell asleep in 457 and was also declared a saint.
photo https://proson.gr
