New Model Empress

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter takes its departure from Ambrose of Milan’s funeral oration and its praise of Helena as discoverer of the True Cross to trace her emergence as a model Christian empress during the fifth and sixth centuries. It shows that Helena’s new role was a result of a combination of factors: the rise of the Theodosian dynasty, the increasing mythologization of Constantine as founder of the Nicene Christian empire, and intensifying Holy Land pilgrimage. The chapter also shows that, although following Helena’s example was sometimes empowering for later imperial women, within the empire her memory and name were mostly used to remind empresses of their duty to complement the emperor. Helena’s potential as a more independent role model for female Christian lifestyles was only realized in the post-Roman West.