She had five children, four of whom survived to adulthood, including her only son and future emperor Theodosius II, but she had two additional pregnancies that ended in either miscarriages or stillbirths and she died as a result of the latter one.

She was a daughter of Flavius Bauto, a Romanised Frank who served as magister militum in the Western Roman army during the 380s.

Bury[5] and the historical study Theodosian Empresses: Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity (1982) by Kenneth Holum consider her mother to be Roman and Eudoxia to be a "semibarbara", half-barbarian.

[4] According to Zosimus, Eudoxia started her life in Constantinople as a household member of Promotus, magister militum of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The wedding of Eudoxia to Arcadius was orchestrated by Eutropius, one of the eunuch officials serving in the Great Palace of Constantinople.

Rufinus had been an enemy of Promotus and the surviving household of the magister militum, including Eudoxia, might have been eager to undermine him.

[3] Eudoxia and Gainas, the new magister militum, are considered to have played a part in the stripping of all offices and subsequent execution of Eutropius in 399 – who was attempting to expand his own influence and power at court.

She also involved herself in legal matters, such as when the general Arbazacius bribed her in order that he avoid trial for his conduct during his campaign against the Isaurians.

Barbarians and Bishops: Army, Church, and State in the Age of Arcadius and Chrysostom (1990) by J. W. H. G. Liebeschuetz considers her influence overestimated in primary sources while The Cambridge Ancient History XIII.

She was consistently reported to act alone in religious matters; and her husband Arcadius generally remained absent from public events.

Following the birth of Theodosius II, Eudoxia instructed Porphyry to bring a petition to the infant, which was "ordained" by the newborn.

Porphyry destroyed the temple of Marnas and constructed a basilica there in honor of the vow Eudoxia had made in her prayers for a son.

[3] Her role brought her into conflict with John Chrysostom, the Patriarch of Constantinople, particularly after he protested over the fall from power and execution of Eutropius (his ally at court).

[citation needed] During his time as Archbishop, John adamantly refused to host lavish social gatherings, which made him popular with the common people, but unpopular with wealthy citizens and the clergy.

[12] There was also an earthquake the night of his arrest, which Eudoxia took for a sign of God's anger, prompting her to ask Arcadius for John's reinstatement.

[citation needed] She was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, in a porphyry sarcophagus that was described in the 10th century by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in the De Ceremoniis.

[3] Eudoxia is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor.