Alexandra of Antioch

Alexandra (Greek: Άλεξάνδρα, flourished 4th century) was a Greek noblewoman.

Little is known on the origins and life of Alexandra. Alexandra was from the city of Antioch and her brother was a certain Calliopius[1] a rhetor who served as a grammaticus and assistant-teacher under Libanius, and later, ca. 388, served as a magister epistolarum in the imperial court.[2]

Alexandra married a wealthy rhetor called Seleucus.[3] Alexandra bore Seleucus two known children:

• Daughter Olympias, born in 361,[4] who later became a great Christian saint.[5] It is possible, however, that Olympias was the daughter of an otherwise unknown man named Seleucus.[6]
• Either a son or daughter, who was a parent of Olympias and Seleucus[7]

Alexandra is known as one of the correspondents from the surviving letters of Libanius as her husband was an intimate friend of Libanius, Julian and Calliopius.[8] She was a cultivated woman, in which Libanius highly praised and admired her.[9]

In 361 Alexandra remained in Antioch, while her husband was in Euphratensis, on imperial business[10] on behalf of Constantius II and later Julian the Apostate. In 362, Alexandra accompanied Seleucus to Cilicia in Anatolia where Julian sent Seleucus there, as the emperor made him either high-priest or perhaps Roman governor in that province.[11]

Libanius thanked Alexandra for slaves she sent to him as a gift, but bemoans the fact that they arrived without an accompanying letter.[12] After this moment, no more is known of her.