The Work of an Empress

Ἐἰκε δέ καὶ ἀλλην ἀφορμὴν ὠφελείας ὁ Βασιλεύς. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ γάμου τὸν ζυγὸν μετ’ αὐτοῦ δεξαμένη, τῶν θείων αυτῷ συνεχῶς ἀνεμίμνησκε νόμων, ἑαυτὴν τούτους πρῶτον ἀκριβῶς ἐκπαιδεύσασα. Οὐ γὰρ ἑπῆρεν αὐτὴν τῆς βασιλείας ἡ δυναστεία, ἀλλὰ τὸν θεῖον πλέον ἐπύρσευσε πόθον. Τῆς γάρ εὐεργεσίας τὸ μέγεθος μεῖζον τὸ περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην εἰργάζετο φίλτρον. Αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ τῶν τὸ σῶμα πεπηρωμένων, καὶ ἀπαντα τὰ μέλη λελωβημένη, παντοδαπὴν ἐποιεῖτο φροντίδα, οὐκ οἰκέταις, οὐδὲ δορυφόποις ὑπουργοῖς κεχρημένη, ἀλλ’ αὐτουργός γιγνομένη, καὶ εἰς τὰς τούτων καταγωράς ἀφικνουμένη, καὶ ἐκαστῳ τὴν χρείαν πορίζουσα. Οὐτω καὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοὺς ξενῶνας περινοστοῦσα τοὺς κλινουπετεῖς δι’ ἐαυτῆς ἑνοσήλευεν, ἀῦτη καὶ χύτρας ἀπτομένη, καὶ ζωμοῦ γευομένη, καὶ τρύβλιον προσφέρουσα, καὶ ἄρτον κλῶσα, καὶ ψωμοὺς ὀρέγουσα, καὶ κύλικα ἀποκλύζουσα, καὶ τάλλα πάντα ἐργαζομένη, ὄσα οἰκετῶν καὶ θεραπαινίσων ἔργα νενόμισται. Καὶ τοῖς τὴν αὐτοργίαν ἐπέχειν πειρωμένοις ἐπέλεγεν, ὡς Τὸ μὲν χρυσίον διανέμειν τῇ βασιλείᾳ προσήκει· ἐγὼ δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς γε βασιλείας τὴν αὐτουργίαν τᾡ δεδωκότι προσφέρω.   Θεοδωρητος Ἐπισκοπος Κυρρος, Ἐκκλησιαστίκη Ἱστορία

And the Emperor had another occasion for improvement, for Flacilla, she given to the yoke of marriage with him, often reminded him of the Divine laws, a matter in which she had first carefully educated herself. For she was not exalted by the royal power, but she was rather inflamed by it with longing for the Divine; the magnitude of the greatness given to her making the love for Him who gave it all the greater. To the maimed and the mutilated she directed her attention, and not requiring assistance from her household and guards, she herself went to the resting houses, bringing what each one there needed. She also went around the guest chambers of the churches and herself nursed those laying therein, herself handling pots and pans, tasting soup, bringing in bowls, breaking bread, offering morsels, washing cups, and doing all such work which is proper to servants and maids. And to those who attempted to stop her doing these things she would say, ' As it befits a sovereign to hand out gold; I, on account of the sovereign power that has been given me, bring my service to He who gave it.' Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Ecclesiastical History