New-York tribune., 1921-12-25

IiC use OF Lne name EuQOcla
s Augusta in Mr. Phillpotts's
H. historical romance-or royal
comedy, as he calls it-may,
we fear, be misleading to some For
the heroine of the story is not the ia
nous daughter of Leontius, who bore
that name and with whom that name
IS lnseparably identified in the minds
of all readers Of Byzantine history;
but she is the daughter of John Mac
rembolites, the wife successfully of
Constantine x ard Romanus ". who
Is best known in history as Eudocia
Macrembolitissa-a very different wom-
an from the Eudocia of six centuries
before, as the Eastern Empire Of the
eleventh century was itself different
from that of the fifth.
This later and lesser Eudocia was.
however q sufficiently picturesque and
even formidable woman to merit being
the theme of romance. She has, in
deed, hitherto been the subject of sew
eral serious historical studies, particu-
larly by German writer's, and she
played an important part in some very
important occurrences at the time
when the empire was trembling on the
brink of dissolution and few strong
men were making brave but futile eff
forts TO save it. Eudocia was born
just nine centuries ago this very year
and about the middle of the eleventh
century became the wife Of Constantine
X. That unworthy emperor belonged
to the family of Ducas, the bitter enc
mics of the family of Comnenus. though
much inferior to the latter in ability
and he succeeded to the throne upon
the enforced abdication of Isaac Com
menus and revolutionized the govern
ment in the direction Of ruin. Isaac
Comnenus was the representative Of
the aristocracv and Of the military
party; Constantine Ducas OF the bour-
geoisie and the pacitists. Upon the
accession of the latter, therefore, the
military establishment-tho in the
face Of the rising power and menace
of the Seljuk Turks-was reduced al
most to the vanishing point and the
chief Offices of government were filled
with cheap tradesmen and "grafters"
quite ignorant of statecraft The reli-
ance of Constantine for the defense of
the empire was placed in diplomatic
bargaining and in the power of the
purse to buy off aggressors.
1t does not appear that Eudocia bore
any significant part in these affairs
so long az Constantine lived. But
after swearing to him on his death bed
t., at she would always remain q widow,
she realized the precarious state into
which he had plunged the empire,
and rose to the occasion in heroic
effort at its rehabilitation. It is at
that point that Mr.. Phillpotts's romance
begins in 1867, the very year of Con-
stantine's death. Romanus Diogenes
the ablest general of the Byzantine
armies, undertook the task Of restor-
ing the military strength Of the en-
pire so that while it was too late tc
save Armenia and other eastern prov
inces from the conquering Seljuks he
might be able to prevent their further
ravages. But Romanus also aspirel
! to the throne, not as q rival to t1e
Empress but as her husband; and this
ambition caused her-chiefy, we mus
believe, at the Indictment OF others
to effect his arrest and Imprisonment
and even to order him TO be put tt
death. She probably had. however, ;
fondness for him, and she certainl.
felt the need of him as an aid in th'
desperate straits which she realized t.
be before her empire. There was n
other man to take his place a. the heas
of the army. So, after long strug