Juliana Anicia: “A Building Loving Woman” Gender and Construction in Constantinople

In the early sixth century, the imperial princess Juliana Anicia, was the wealthiest woman in Constantinople. Daughter and granddaughter of emperors she followed the example of her female imperial ancestresses, building churches across the empire as an act of faith and familial promotion. One congregation in the capital showed their gratitude with the gift of a luxurious medical manuscript, the Vienna Dioscurides Codex. The frontispiece depicts Juliana enthroned, giving coins attended by personifications of Magnanimity, Prudence, and Gratitude of the Arts. No completed church appears. Instead, the surrounding illustrations relate to the act of building, including eight scenes of putti busy sawing, cutting stones, and performing other construction tasks. Making architecture had meaning. Early Christian texts and images had long venerated women who created churches, portraying them as participating not only by donating funds, but also by providing designs, overseeing labor, and even lifting stones. Juliana erected several churches in Constantinople. The largest and most magnificent was that of St. Polyeuctos which had a lengthy inscription touting her hard work, design acumen, and management of work crews. In acknowledgment of her involvement in the making of the church the Codex labels Juliana “a building loving woman.”