The Secret History: The Buildings Of Justinian

Evans, James Allan. Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian. Austin, TX, USA: University of Texas Press, 2002. Accessed September 30, 2014. ProQuest ebrary.

Justinian’s code is a set of laws that was originally influenced by the twelve tables, and was used in Ancient Rome. The law code was created by Justinian himself, which was based of the original law, but he made it more proper.

Justinian was a powerful emperor, who reconquered previously owned Roman land. During his time of reign, he helped the Byzantine Empire reach its peak in culture and propeserity. Although some see him as deceptive, as it says in document two“ Justinian was crafty, hypocritical, secretive by temperament, and two faced”. Others say he was “similar to God, who rules all” which is said in document three. He left behind what is still remember today. Achievements and accomplishment of Justinian are what is recalled of him. Justinian revived the Roman Empire into the Byzantine Empire by preservation of Greco- Roman culture, his legacy was enriching the Roman Empire into the Byzantine Empire , glorifying God, and enhancing trade and laws throughout the Byzantine Empire.

The Justinian and Attendants is a mosaic which was created by an unknown artist in the Byzantine period dating back to 547 CE. The work measures 8' 8" X 12' and is located in Ravenna, Italy inside the Church of San Vitale. This landscape format mosaic depicts an outdoor scene with eleven figures that are at least partially visible, if not entirely visible, within the scene. The figures are all very different from the stocky large-headed figures in the art of the 4th and 5th centuries. These figures are all very tall, however; they all have eye-levels that are more or less precisely the same. Their bodies are slim, faces are all fairly similar and they all have petite feet. The figure in the middle wears a crown and appears to be holding a basket, while the figure directly to the right is holding a cross in his right hand, the one to his right is cradling

Byzantine Emperor Justinian was the bold architect of a revitalized Byzantine Empire that would leave a lasting legacy for Western Civilization. As much of Europe entered the Dark Ages, Justinian 's vision of a restored Roman Empire would reverse the decline of the Byzantine Empire and lay a firm foundation that would allow the Byzantine Empire to survive for centuries to come.

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

Theodora was the Empress of the Byzantine Empire from 527, when she was crowned, until her death in 548. Procopius was the appointed historian to record what was happening in the Empire, but mostly to focus on Theodora and Justinian. The Secret History was written by Procopius, but not published in the West until about a millennium after it was written. As it was ‘a venomous pamphlet of dubious merit’, The Secret History is hardly a reliable historical source. It criticises Justinian and Theodora for all of their actions as Emperor and Empress, as well as create a story, possibly based on nothing, about the origins of Theodora. While Procopius is considered a significant historian for the sixth century, it is notable that his treatment of Theodora is biased in an unfavourable way. Procopius adopts a perceptibly hostile attitude toward Theodora. Much of this bias against Theodora can be explained by Procopius’ view of women in power and gender roles.

Theodora was an empress of the Byzantine Empire, along with her husband, Emperor Justinian. She was one of the most famous empresses in Byzantine History, there have also been scandals and rumors about her, that may detriment her legacy. Most prominent of these is Procopius, a historian that had very negative views of her, especially her early life. While some, like Procopius view Empress Theodora as conniving and malicious, she was really a great leader.

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.

Seeing through Theodora's eyes gives you the flaws and joys in the world that men occasionally pass up. When comparing to the novel we learned about in lecture The Secret History written by Procopius of Caesarea, we are able to see the opposite side of things. Procopius was a great general of the time under Belisarius. His work was the only story of Justinian and Theodora to go off of from that time. He bashed both of them to the point where this book was considered a massive attack.

Justinian I Justinian had a very significant role in world history. There are many things that are overlooked when speaking of Justinian. For instance, Justinian was a great architect. Many times we overlook the little characteristics of Justinian and we focus on the code of Justinian.

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

The Byzantine Empire, though often forgotten among better-known empires, such as the Roman Empire, ran for nearly one thousand years, occupying the eastern half of what once was the Roman Empire. It engaged in trade, expansion, and decades of warfare. It also gave women a better status then men, valued and preserved Greek history, and eventually fell to the Ottomans.

Il Pantheon (Pantheon) “pan” means all, “theon” means God. It is a preserved intact Roman Empire building, located in the centre of Rome, Italy. It was built in 27-25 BC by Marcus Agrippa, and Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it in 125 AD.

Many centuries before the birth of Christ, the city of Rome grew, prospered, and developed into a thriving Republic. As in most cultures, Rome's buildings became more elaborate and impressive. They developed fantastic building technologies and ideas. The feats of Roman engineers were groundbreaking, and many structures built by this culture still stand today. With knowledge borrowed from the Greeks, Rome made impressive architectural achievements, these were namely major attributes of buildings, colossal structures, and a legacy that would influence later buildings (Cornell and Matthews 11).