o Justinian, also known as Justinian the Great or Justinian I, was a Byzantine emperor

who ruled during 527 to 565 AD.

o He was a Christian emperor.
o He was married to Theodora, one of the more influential and powerful empresses of
Rome.
o Sometimes, he was called The Last of the Romans and considered one of the most
important late Roman and Byzantine emperors.
o The reign of Justinian, April 1, 527 AD to November 14, 565, was an extremely
significant period since it made possible the rise of the Franks and the spread of Islam.
o Before becoming the sole emperor of the empire, he ruled alongside his uncle, Justin I,
who adopted him and he acted as his uncles close confidant and advisor.
o His sole rule was characterized by profound efforts to strengthen the empire and return
the state to its former ancient glory.
o Justinian took a leading role in shaping church policy. As an adamant defender of
Christian Orthodoxy, he fought to extinguish the last vestiges of Greco-Roman
paganism, to root out Manichaeans and Samaritans, and to oppose competing Christian
sects, including the Arians and the Monophysites.
o Under Justinians reign, the Empire reached its largest territorial point, reincorporating
North Africa, southern Illyria, southern Spain, and Italy into the Empire
o Justinian sought to recover regions lost to foreign invaders, particularly Germanic
tribes in Italy and North Africa. He thus launched one of the most aggressive military
programs in medieval history.
o By his death in 565, the empire bordered nearly the entire Mediterranean Sea, a size
unrivalled in Byzantine history from that point onward. The Byzantine Empire reigned
supreme as the largest and most powerful state in Europe.
o In January 532, partisans of the chariot racing factions in Constantinople, normally
divided among themselves, united against Justinian in a revolt. This was also known as
the Nika Riot.
o It was the most violent riot in the history of Constantinople, with nearly half the city
being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed.
o Justinian decided to board a ship and sail away from Constantinople, stepping down as
emperor, but saving his life. As he started to leave, he looked behind him to find his
wife, Theodora, stubbornly refusing. "I would rather die an empress, than live on the
run, and besides, purple makes a wonderful burial veil," she said. Seeing his wife's
courage, Justinian decided to stay. The riot was controlled, and Justinian continued to
rule the Byzantine Empire.
o He ordered an empire-wide construction drive, resulting in new churches, monasteries,
forts, water reservoirs, and bridges.
o The rebuilding of Hagia Sophia from 532 to 537 was the paramount achievement of
Justinian's building campaigns.
o The Justinian Code was the collection of Roman laws into a single volume by Justinian.
The whole was completed by 534 AD, and is still the basis today of many legal codes and
systems in the Western world.
o It is also the basis of modern systems of civil law.