Justinian I Essay

Justinian belonged to a peasant family, and was not someone you'd expect to become emperor. However, he had an uncle named Justin who had entered into the Byzantine military. Justin was considered a peasant, but had worked up through the ranks, becoming an imperial guard. Justin adopted Justinian, after he brought him to Constantinople, and ensured that he became the first person in their family to be educated. In 527, Justin died and Justinian formally became the leader of a great empire.

Justinian’s age was a golden age because Justinian had achieved many things. Justinian created currency, controls many sea routes for trade, had entertainment, and many more advancements. But the advancements that stands out are, the Bureau of Barbarians and how much land Justinian dominates. Justinian had created a secret agency for his empire. A group of merchants and spies that would go spy and bring back information about the enemy - Bureau of Barbarians. Because of this agency, Justinian had ideas on how to protect his empire. He also dominated a big amount of land. He controlled the Vandals in South Africa, the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the Visigoth in Southern Spain. Because of this, his empire gained many ideas, rituals, and information

Justinian I, commonly known as Justinian the Great, was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 until he died on November 14th 565 when he was 82 years old. Which is pretty old in Ancient Rome because the average lifespan was 35 years and in the “ancient world” at least half of the kids in Rome died before the age of 10. Surprisingly, Justinian lived 47 years more than the “average” man. He is considered a saint by Eastern Orthodox Christians. Justinian simplified Roman laws. These are now called Corpus Juris Civilis which is the collective title of the body of ancient Roman law; organized and categorized under the emperor Justinian in the 6th century a.d.

He went from an insignificant peasant to the most powerful position in the Byzantine Empire, the emperor (source 3 page 120). This could be an explanation as to why Procopius attacks Justinian so frequently in The Secret History (DOES THIS NEED A SOURCE?). His bias and distaste is clearly displayed in the following quote (source 2 page 889): “Justinian, having no natural aptitude toward the imperial dignity, neither assumed the royal manner nor thought it necessary to his prestige. In his accent, in his dress, and in his ideas he was a barbarian.” Procopius essentially admits to his own bias, saying that the fact that he was not a natural heir and because of this is barbaric. Clearly, The Secret History is shaping up to be a remarkably biased source, which decreases the probability that it is a reliable

Throughout the Roman Empire and Early Middle Ages countless rulers existed who have captivated the interest of many historians. These compelling leaders led the way to change and progress with new building reforms and art that is still acknowledged as revolutionary today. Three of the fascinating rulers who captivated the interests of historians are Augustus, Nero, and Justinian. During each of their reigns, these rulers inspired new law codes, economic reforms, artistic innovations, and religious reform. While each ruler possessed unique skills and beliefs, each emperor had similarities in how they came to power. Art flourished and building forms renovated the various cities in The Roman Empire and Early Middle East under the reign of Augustus, Nero, and Justinian.

Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was bon in 163 B.C. and came from a distinguished family. His grandfather conquered Hannibal, his father brought the Celtiberian war successfully to a close, reduced Sardinia, and was elected consul for two terms and sensor for one. His mother Cornelia was a woman of wide-culture who employed Greek tutors to educate her sons, Tiberius and Gaius. Two tutors who influenced Tiberius at a young age were Diophanes, a teacher of oration and Blossius of Cumae, a philosopher.

Justinian was emperor of the Byzantine Empire for nearly forty years and served from A.D. 527 to 565. He was known as the first great Byzantine emperor. Justinian and his wife Theodora were an unusual couple. Justinian was born a peasant and worked his way up as a soldier. Theodora’s dad was a bear trainer for the circus, and when Theodora grew up she also

Justinian of Constantinople took throne in 527 over the Byzantine Empire, he was known for his tight and harsh reign of control and the architecture he inspired through his beliefs such as the Hagia Sophia and the San Vitale (Cunningham, Pg. 224). Justinian lived in a region clashing with Orthodox and Arian Christians, both of which believed that God was divine but they had a slight difference in their views of Jesus Christ (Cunningham, Pg. 224). His personal belief was in the Orthodox Christianity and viewed Jesus in both forms, divine like god and a human (Cunningham, Pg. 225 & 229). The Arian Christians believed Jesus was not directly connected to god but was made by and separated from god (Cunningham, Pg. 238 (Glossary)). Justinian’s central

Most consider Justinian one of the most important late Roman and Byzantine emperors. Justinian’s reign was from 527 to 565 CE. Not a great deal is known about his life. He was adopted at a young age by his uncle and brought to Constantinople for his education’s sake. Justinian aimed to take Italy, Sicily, and Africa by initiated an enormous military enterprise. During his reign he ordered the rebuilding of the Hagia Sophia church (in 532 CE) along with an empire-wide construction drive, ending in new churches, monasteries, forts, water reservoirs, and bridges. Justinian had a legal expert in his court gather together numerous legal documents, commentaries, and laws of the Roman legal system into one book which would hold all laws. This

Although it would give him much grief to desert his beloved Theodora, his empire, and his way of life, he knew that staying would be a suicide mission. Suddenly, the great emperor Constantine I appeared before him and said, “Many men have fought and died to claim the rank of Emperor. How is it possible that a man as great as yourself would be willing to relinquish this title?” Justinian was shocked by the appearance of this unexpected guest, but furthermore was embarrassed and ashamed. “I am sorry Constantine the Great, but my empire is lost, my people have turned against me,” stammered Justinian. Constantine looked upon Justinian pitifully and said, “All emperors go through periods of adversity. Our faith in God is what allows us to achieve greatness. My victory over Maxentius at Milvian Bridge is proof of this. Justinian, you are destined to be a great emperor, all you need is to have faith that God will pass you through this trial you face.” Justinian was shocked by the words of the great emperor and realized how his fears had turned him into a fool. Justinian had one more concern, “How could I possibly win back the empire when it is the people that I care for who are opposing me?” Justinian questioned. Constantine’s face became stern. “When I went to war and ordered the death of my once good friend Licinius I was also conflicted, but in the end I knew what I had to do to make my empire truly great and

The Great Roman spent more than 20 years in driving the Vandals, Huns, and Franks from Italy and North Africa. He restored most of the empire to Roman control. Of more lasting importance was his 'Corpus Juris Civilis' a legal code that became the foundation of law in most western European countries. Justinian the Great Roman is the best emperor because of how he grew up, what he accomplished, and what he influenced after his death in 15 November 565 .

The Late Middle Ages, which lasted until the early 16th century, was a turbulent period which was beset by difficulties such as famine and battle. Monarchs with insatiable territorial appetites and religious fanaticism contributed greatly to create instability and war among the people. However, one of the greatest villain during this period was an undetectable foe, named Yersinia Pestis.

In history it is rare to find truly great leadership, but every once in a while someone comes along so charismatic that even his enemies cannot but admire him. Rome in the first century B.C. was replete with statesmen, generals and leaders who to this day are remembered as being among the greatest and most fascinating that ever lived. But there is no doubt as to the most memorable of these. Gaius Julius Caesar lived from 100 to 44 B.C. and though his life began and ended with Rome beset by internal strife and the threat of civil war, he did more than anyone to consolidate the power of Rome and facilitate the rise of the Roman empire. It is true that the political and social climate of Rome had been changing rapidly for two

Theodora was born around the year 497 A.D., into a poor family. Her father, Acacius, was a bear keeper at the Hippodrome in Constantinople. She lived as a beggar for several years. During her younger years, she was a clown in the circus and eventually she became an actor in plays, which led her to a very immoral lifestyle. She later recognized the evil of her lifestyle and decided to turn her life around, by converting to Christianity and moving to Constantinople, away from her former career to a new career, wool spinning.

While Constantine was the founder of Byzantium, Justinian was its first great ruler. During his rule, he conquered much of the Western Roman Empire, including North Africa and most of the land surrounding the Mediterranean. In addition to his great military strength, Justinian constructed many great monuments (including the Church of Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia) and practically rewrote the law, developing a version of it that would last for centuries more. This legal code helped develop the modern concept of state and provided a reformed law that was more accessible to all citizens and made more sense in the context of their lives.