Justin I

  • Justin I (518-527 CE) was a Roman Emperor of the East. He founded the Justinian Dynasty.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

  • NAME:
  • JUSTIN I’ DATES OF REIGN AS EMPEROR:
    • 9 July 518 CE to 1 August 527 CE.
    • Co-Emperor with Justinian I from 1 April 527 CE.
  • JUSTIN I’ DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
    • Born 2 February 450 CE. Died 1 Auust 527 CE. Aged 77.
  • PLACE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
  • JUSTIN I’ PREDECESSOR:
  • JUSTIN I’ SUCCESSOR:
  • HEIR TO THE THRONE BECAUSE:
    • He was Commander of the Palace Guard under Anastasius I.
    • He bought the support of the council officials, so as to be elected Emperor.
  • WIVES AND CHILDREN:
    • Euphemia
  • DIED PEACEFULLY OR ASSASSINATED:
    • He died of ill health.
  • WHERE BURIED:
  • JUSGTIN I WAS FAMOUS BECAUSE:
  • EVENTS:
    • In 526 CE an earthquake ruined Antioch causing the deaths of 250,000 people.
    • Justin I sent relief funds and started the reconstruction of the city.
  • MONUMENTS:

2. BRIEF SYNOPSIS

Rise to Power

  • Justin I came from a peasant background and spoke Latin with only a little Greek.
  • He moved to Constantinople, joined the Palace Guard and moved up the ranks to become Commander.
  • After bribing the council members he was elected Emperor.

Foreign Policy

  • Justin avoided war, preferring to develop Client Kingdom relationships instead.
  • The West:
    • Although the Ostrogoth, Theodoric the Great ruled Italy, he continued to rule as a Prefect of the Roman Empire, which prevented war between the two states.
    • This recognition also kept the Chalcedonian Italian population from rebelling against the Ostrogoths, who were Arians.
  • The East
    • Justin I attempted to wrest Christian Iberia (modern Georgia) from the Persians but failed.
    • Negotiations with Khavad I of the Sassanid Empire for Justin I to adopt his son Khosrow, eventually failed and ended in Roman border raids into Armenia.
  • The South
    • In 525 CE, the Aksumite Empire (Ethiopia) invaded the Himyarite Kingdom (Yemen), removing it from the Persian sphere of influence and making it a Christian State.

Christianity

  • On the 28 March 519 CE, the Patriarch John II of Constantinople accepted a resolution from the Roman Pope Homisdas which ended the Acacian Schism.
  • Christian symbols replaced Pagan symbols on coins, reinforcing the Eastern Empire as a Christian State.
  • Arianism was banned, despite the Emperor of the West, Theodoric, being an Arian.

Justinian I

  • During the last few years of his reign, he gave increasing power to his nephew Justinian I, allowing him to make State decisions and making him Commander of the Palace Guard and in 525 CE, Consul.
  • Justinian I was made Co-Emperor on 1 April 527 CE, a few months before Justin I died.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

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