The Pagan Father for Olympias the Deaconess

Abstract

The article examines the problem of family ties of Olympias the Deaconess of Constantinople. Refuting the criticism of B. Schouler, F. Chausson, and P. Janiszewski, the author gives additional arguments in favor of the version of O. Seeck, who thought that Olympias was a daughter of the priest Seleucus, a friend of emperor Julian and Libanius. It is suggested that this Seleucus was an apostate, who had been brought up as a Christian and converted to paganism. At the same time, the author corrects Seeck’s ideas and speaks out against the traditional identification of the deaconess with the first daughter of Seleucus and his wife Alexandra, arguing that she was the second or third child of that couple.