e Gastria upon the locality. The
argument is by no means conclusive. A more fanciful explanation of the
name of the district is given by Byzantine etymologists after their
wont. According to them the name was due to the circumstance that the
Empress Helena, upon her return from Jerusalem with her great discovery
of the Holy Cross, disembarked at Psamathia, and having founded a
convent there, adorned its garden with the pots ([Greek: ta gastria]) of
fragrant shrubs which accompanied the sacred tree on the voyage from
Palestine.[465] More sober historians ascribe the foundation of the
convent to Euphrosyne, the step-mother of the Emperor Theophilus,[466]
or to his mother-in-law Theoctista.[467] Both ladies, it is certain,
were interested in the House, the former taking the veil there,[468]
while the latter resided in the immediate neighbourhood.[469] Probably
the convent was indebted to both those pious women for benefactions, and
it was unquestionably in their day that the monastery acquired its
greatest fame as the centre of female influence in support of the cause
of eikons. Theoctista was especially active in that cause, and through
her connection with the court not only strengthened the opposition to
the policy of her son-in-law, but also disturbed the domestic peace of
the imperial family. Whenever the daughters of Theophilus visited her
she took the opportunity to condemn their father's views, and would
press her eikons on the girls' lips for adoration. One day, after such a
visit, Pulcheria, the youngest princess, a mere child, in giving an
account of what had transpired, innocently told her father that she had
seen and kissed some very beautiful dolls at her grandmother's house.
Whereupon Theophilus, suspecting the real facts, forbade his daughter to
visit Theoctista again. On another occasion the court fool, Denderis,
surprised the Empress Theodora in her private chamber kissing eikons and
placing them over her eyes. 'What are these things?' he inquired. 'My
beautiful dolls which I love,' she replied. Not long afterwards the
jester was summoned to amuse Theophilus while sitting at table. 'What is
the latest news?' asked the emperor. 'When I last visited "mamma" (the
jester's familiar name for the empress) I saw most beautiful dolls in
her room.' Instantly the emperor rose, beside himself with rage, and
rushing to his wife's apartments violently denounced her as a heathen
and idolater. 'Not at all,' answered Theodo