Justinian I

• Justinian I (527-565 CE), also known as Justinian the Great and Saint Justinian the Emperor, was a Roman Emperor of the East and the last Emperor whose first language was Latin. He has been referred to as the ‘Last Roman Emperor’.
• With his General Belisarius, he re-established Roman control over the Western Mediterranean from the Ostrogoths, and reoccupied North Africa from the Vandals.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

• NAME:
  • Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus
  • Also known as Justinian the Great.
  • Known as Saint Justinian the Emperor in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
  • Justinian Dynasty
• JUSTINIAN I’ DATES OF REIGN AS EMPEROR:
  • Co-Emperor with Justin I from 1 April to 1 August 527 CE.
  • 1 August 527 CE to 565 CE.
• JUSTINIAN I’ DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
  • Born 482 CE. Died 14 November 565 CE. Aged 83.
• PLACE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
  • Born in Tauresium, Dardania (Balkans). Died in Constantinople.
• JUSTINIAN I’ PREDECESSOR:
  • Justin I
• JUSTINIAN I’ SUCCESSOR:
  • Justin II
• JUSTINIAN I’ RIGHT HAND MAN:
  • General Belisarius
• HEIR TO THE THRONE BECAUSE:
  • He was proclaimed Emperor by his uncle Justin I
• WIVES AND CHILDREN:
  • Theodora
    • No children
• DIED PEACEFULLY OR ASSASSINATED:
  • He died of old age.
• WHERE BURIED:
  • He was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople.
• JUSTINIAN I WAS FAMOUS BECAUSE:
  • He compiled the Digest of Justinian (529-534 CE) which was a compilation of all Roman Laws and included Roman Sea Law.
  • He was the last Roman Emperor whose first language was Latin.
  • He has been referred to as the ‘Last Roman’ meaning the ‘Last Roman Emperor’.
  • He re-established Roman control over the Western Mediterranean and North Africa.
• EVENTS:
  • The Sun’s light was dimmed (535-6 CE) possibly by a volcanic eruption elsewhere, which produced crop failures and famine.
  • Plague of Justinian (541-549 CE)
    • The First outbreak of the Plague in Europe which started in Egypt, then spread throughout the Mediterranean and Persia.
  • Beirut Earthquake and Tsunami (551 CE) causing c.30,000 deaths.
• MONUMENTS:
  • Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.
  • Basilica of St. Sophia, Sofia, Bulgaria.
  • Enlargement of the Basilica Cistern (c.537 CE)
  • Column of Justinian (543 CE) (demolished by the Ottomans in 1515 CE)

2. BRIEF SYNOPSIS

Digest of Justinian (529-534 CE)

• Justinian I is famous for revising all known Roman Laws, which were then published in the Digest of Justinian, known in Latin as the ‘Corpus Juris Civilis’ (529-534 CE).
• It was a collation into 3 sections of all the previously known Roman Laws for the Byzantine Empire. A fourth section was added for Laws passed after its publication.
• This is still used as the basis of Civil Law in many modern countries.

Economy

• He increased the Tax Revenues from 5,000,000 Solidii per annum to 6,000,000 Solidii per annum.
• But he reduced the Postal Service to one main route.
• Between 551-553 CE, Justinian I backed two monks to successfully smuggle silkworm eggs back from China to Constantinople, creating the Eastern Roman Empire’s own Silk industry.
• Gold and Silver for the currency came from mines in the Balkans, Cyprus, Egypt and Armenia.
• The Grain Convoys from Alexandria continued to supply wheat to Constantinople, with a depot developed on the island of Tenedos in the Aegean.

Architecture and the Arts

• He conducted a major rebuilding programme in Constantinople.
• He rebuilt the Hagia Sophia as the central Cathedral of Orthodox Christianity.
• He rebuilt the Church of the Holy Apostles
• Sangarius Bridge, Turkey (still intact)
• He enlarged the Basilica Cistern in c 537 CE.
• The Column of Justinian was erected in 543 CE in the Augustaeum in Constantinople.
• He built the Dara Dam in Mesopotamia.
• He built the city of Justiniana Prima (535 CE until 615 CE) as an alternative to Thessalonica.

Christianity

• Justinian I passed Edicts persecuting Paganism. In 529 CE he closed the Neoplatonic Academy in Athens. 70,000 Pagans were converted in Asia Minor. Tribes outside the Roman Empire were converted to Christianity.
• He closed the Temple of Isis at Philae and ended the worship of Amun at the Oasis of Awjila in Libya.
• He sent Bishops to the Nabataean Kingdom and to the Yemen.
• Manichaeism was persecuted.

Fifth Ecumenical Council (553 CE)

• In 553 CE, he held the Second Council of Constantinople to establish the promulgating Nicene Creed as the basis of Christianity and eliminate Nestorianism.
• Pope Vigilius, who he had nominated, was summoned from Rome and obliged to ratify the Ecumenical Council’s findings. The Monophysites in Egypt and Syria were also forced to accept the Council’s conclusions, but a deep rift remained.
• He laid the foundations for the structure and wealth of the Church by enabling donations and foundations for churches and monasteries, as well as rules for the administration of church property and ecclesiastical conduct.

Nika Riots

• After Justinian I appointed advisers who became very unpopular, the Horse Racing Factions, who were politically powerful, united and rioted in Constantinople, razing a large part of the city including the Hagia Sophia.
• After being advised not to flee by his wife, Justinian I had 30,000 rebels brutally murdered by his Generals in the Hippodrome. He then set about rebuilding Constantinople.

Belisarius and the Reconquest of North Africa (533-4 CE)

• In 533 CE, General Belisarius landed in Tunisia using a fleet of 92 Dromons, 500 transports with 15,000 soldiers.
• On 14 December 533 CE, the Vandals were crushed at the Battle of Ad Decimum and again on 15 December 533 CE at the Battle of Tricamarum.
• At the same time,Sardinia, Corsica, the Balearic Islands and Ceuta were captured.
• The Prefecture of Africa was established in 534 CE.

First War in Italy (535-540 CE)

• Taking advantage of internal dissent within the Ostrogoths, Belisarius invaded Sicily, then besieged and captured Rome on 9 December 536 CE. In 540 CE he captured Ravenna and claimed it for the Eastern Roman Empire.
• Although General Narses had arrived earlier in Italy, he had not succeeded in his campaign and was recalled.

Second War in Italy (541-554 CE)

• In 541 the Ostrogoths started to regain southern Italy, and in 544 CE Belisarius was sent back, but was unable to reoccupy the lost territories and recalled in 588 CE.
• In June 552 CE, General Narses was sent to Ravenna and he defeated and killed Totila at the Battle of Taginae in July 552 CE. After defeating an invasion in 554 CE, Italy was returned to the Roman Empire.

First War against the Sassanid Empire (527-532 CE)

• In 530 CE, the Sassanids were defeated at Dara and Satala, but in 531 CE Belisarius was defeated at the Battle of Callinicum.
• As a result, Justinian I made a Peace Treaty with Khosrau I on 532 CE, where he paid the Persians 11,000 pounds (5,000 kgs) of gold.

Second War against the Sassanid Empire (540-562 CE)

• Khosrau I invaded Syria in 540 CE. Roman and Persian Armies fought each other repeatedly until 562 CE.
• The Fifty Years Peace was signed in 562 CE whereby the Roman Empire paid the Persians Tribute of c.500 pounds (227 kgs) of gold per annum.

Death

• Justinian I died of old age and designated his nephew Justin II as his successor.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

• CLASSICAL SOURCES:
  • Procopious History of the Wars
  • Chronicon Paschale (7th century CE)
  • Evagrius Scholasticus: Ecclesiastical History
  • Agathias Scholasticus: Histories