I’ve regifted before. You probably have, as well. Sometimes, you either don’t want a gift or you might think someone else could use the gift more than you could. Take the case of Theodosius and his wife, Eudocia, who lived in what is now Istanbul back 1600 years ago. He was a wealthy man and had great influence and power. At that time, the city was known as Constantinople, and it was the capital city of the Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire. The city was one of the largest in the world at that time, filled with riches and beautiful architecture as well as amazing churches and religious shrines. According to the story, Theodosius was on his way to church one day when a man approached him with a gift.
“Sir,” the man said to Theodosius, “please accept this apple as a token of my esteem.” Theodosius could hardly believe his eyes. The man held out an extremely large apple, an apple so large that the man had to hold it with both hands so as not to drop it. It was a special apple, the man said, grown in the area of what is now Turkey known as Phrygia. Theodosius took the apple with happiness, and he thanked the man profusely. The man said that it was his honor to present the apple to a man of Theodosius’s reputation and respect.
Rather than continue to church, Theodosius hurried home. He found his wife doing what she usually was doing–reading. Now, this was somewhat unusual for that day, because most women of the period were illiterate. But Eudocia was an intelligent woman from Athens, from a rich family as well, and she had a good education. It was one of the things he loved about his wife. And the pair loved each other dearly after 20 years of marriage. Theodosius called Eudocia away from her book and presented her with the largest apple she had ever seen. He told her the story of how the stranger had given him the apple as he was on his way to worship that morning. Eudocia was thrilled with the gift. The couple embraced, and then they went about their day.
A few days later, Theodosius was at his work, and his best and life-long friend, a man named Paulinus, came to see him. Now, these two friends had known each other since the crib. Their parents had been friends, and the two were raised almost like brothers. Paulinus had been the best man at the wedding of Theodosius and Eudocia, in fact. Both of them loved him like a brother, it seemed. But that day, Paulinus came to show Theodosius something unique: An incredibly large apple.
A dark cloud descended over Theodosius’s face. He roughly pushed Paulinus aside and ran to his wife’s bedroom. He threw open the door and asked her, “What did you do with the apple I gave you? Answer me!” Eudocia, shocked at her husband’s tone and obvious anger stammered. “I…I ate it!” she said. Theodosius burst into tears. He came and knelt at his wife’s knee. “Swear to me,” he said through his tears, “swear to me on our children, swear that you ate the apple.”
Eudocia bit her lip. “Yes,” she said finally. “I swear.”
Suddenly, Theodosius stood up. Everything was clear to him at that moment. His wife was having an affair with his best and longest friend. She gave that friend the apple Theodosius had gifted her, and then she lied with a swear to his face about it. He tears dried up, and he became emotionless. It was Eudocia’s turn to cry when she saw Paulinus standing at the door behind her husband, the apple in question resting in his hands.
You might can guess what happened next. Theodosius had Eudocia sent to Jerusalem, banished from his sight and his household and her own children. Paulinus, well, Paulinus was executed at the order of his best friend, Theodosius.
Because you don’t regift an apple that you have been given by Theodosius II, the Emperor Augustus of the Roman Empire.
The Rest of the Story 