Journal of Early Christian Studies

Of the precious few examples of women's writing in late antiquity, Aelia Eudocia's literary corpus has received uneven attention. A series of fascinating and even scandalous episodes in Eudocia's early life and life as empress have piqued scholarly interest for valid reasons. But what about Eudocia as a writer? While there have been some critical editions and translations of her work in recent years and specific treatments of an individual work here and there, it is only with In Her Own Words: The Life and Poetry of Aelia Eudocia by Brian P. Sowers that we have a sustained literary study of her work.

In this book, Sowers aims to "recover the literary Eudocia," thus drawing a distinction between this and other studies that focus on her historical life or on [End Page 648] specific poems/types of poetry (2). One might expect a sense of disconnection from Eudocia's storied life as a result, but in fact Eudocia comes into fuller view—what styles she emulated, what other works and stories interested her, and what projects she invested in. In Her Own Words complements existing historical and generic studies of Eudocia's poetry and forges new territory in situating her corpus as a whole in context, synthesizing style and themes across her works, and offering the first English translation of her Martyrdom of Cyprian (included as an appendix).

In the first chapter, Sowers examines the last line of an otherwise lost speech that Eudocia gave in Antioch and a poetic inscription at a bath complex at Hammat Gader. Both of these examples shed light on Eudocia's brand of imperial benefaction or euergetism. Sowers cautions against reducing Eudocia's imperial journeys to either devotional pilgrimages or imperial rhetorical performances. Indeed, a theme throughout this book is that Eudocia is not reducible to one title or skill or ambition. Sowers writes: "Based on her extant poems, Eudocia demonstrates an effortless ability to shift between different ideological registers. Simultaneously empress, euergetes, pilgrim, and poet, Eudocia presents herself both as every woman and as an exceptional one" (8).

Sowers combines what we know of late antique euergetism with compelling literary analysis to bring shape to the mutual exchange of Homeric allusion between the Antiochenes and the empress. Eudocia emerges as an impressive rhetor and diplomat. We can learn a lot from one line of text. A religiously devoted and strategic woman comes into view when Sowers traces Eudocia's euergetistic projects in Jerusalem, her relationships with other religious and political figures, such as Melania the Younger and the Empress Pulcheria, and her participation in the cult of the saints. The analysis of Eudocia's honorific poem at the bath complex at Hammat Gader is one of the highlights of In Her Own Words. Sowers's attention to the literary and archeological evidence surrounding the poetic inscription promotes a deeper appreciation for the intersection of the literary and the material—how space elicits words and how words give meaning to space. Sowers demonstrates Eudocia's skilled work with context and intertexts, as well as her striking ability to innovate.

In Chapter Two Sowers turns to the work for which Eudocia is best known, her Homeric cento. Offering the contextual markers of Proba's distinctly Christian cento and Ausonius's prefatory guidance on cento aesthetics situates Eudocia's poetry in a tradition wary (at best) of centos and with few literary companions. Therefore, when Sowers turns to paratextual analysis of her cento, Eudocia's method of revision and her creativity are revealed to be noticeable and notable departures: "More than a poetic tour de force or parlor game to entertain fellow literary elites, her cento is godly entertainment, in that it both honors God and is inspired by God" (51). The chapter ends with an illuminating analysis of Eudocia's paraphrase and interpretation of the Johannine episode of the Samaritan woman at the well. This case study fleshes out...