Justinian I

**Justinian I** () (, ) (c. 482 – 14 November 565), commonly known as **Justinian the Great**, was Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 until his death. He is considered a saint by Eastern Orthodox Christians. Justinian simplified Roman laws. These are now called _Corpus Juris Civilis_.

## Reign

Justinian was born to a Illyrian peasant farmer family in 482 or 483 A.D. Justinian's uncle rose from humble beginnings to become a great general and then Emperor. Justinian was educated by his uncle, who gave him important jobs and appointed him as his successor. It was a wise decision. Justinian was astute, gifted, and ambitious. He modeled himself after the ancient Roman Caesars. After becoming Emperor in 527, Justinian worked to restore Byzantium to its former glory.

Justinian proved to be a strong and effective leader in many ways. He significantly enlarged the empire’s borders. Within those boundaries, he made significant advances in government, construction, and law. He reformed the Byzantine government in order to increase efficiency and eliminate corruption.  Justinian also embarked on a large-scale construction project. He oversaw the construction of the Hagia Sophia, a church in Constantinople that is now regarded as a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. He also supported numerous other civic projects in the city, including a magnificent new Senate building.

Justinian was a devout Christian who was actively involved in religious matters. He punished those found to be heretics, including Jews. He forbade Jews from erecting or reading the Bible in Hebrew, for example. Justinian also worked hard to reconcile the early church's differences of opinion. For example, different groups within the church held opposing views on whether Jesus Christ was fully divine (having the nature of a god) and should be worshiped as an equal to God. This disagreement persisted long after Justinian's death.

Justinian's legal reform was far more successful. He reorganized and standardized complicated Roman laws, and had the remaining laws written down clearly and logically in a single work known as the Code of Justinian. This remarkable work served as the foundation of European law until modern times.

## Other websites

- The _Anekdota_ ("Secret history") of Procopius in English translation.
- The _Buildings_ of Procopius in English translation.
- _The Roman Law Library_ by Professor Yves Lassard and Alexandr Koptev
- Lecture series covering 12 Byzantine Rulers, including Justinian  - by Lars Brownworth

## Infobox (monarch)

- **name**: Justinian I
- **full name**: Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus
- **regnal name**: Imperator Caesar (title), Caesar Flavia gens#As an imperial title, Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus Augustus (title), Augustus
- **image**: Meister von San Vitale in Ravenna 004.jpg
- **caption**: Detail of a contemporary portrait in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna
- **succession**: Roman Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, East
- **reign**: 1 August 527 – 14 November 565 (alone from August 1 527)
- **birth date**: c. 482
- **birth place**: Tauresium, Dardania (Roman province), Dardania, Eastern Roman Empire
 (near today's village of Taor, Republic of Macedonia)
- **death date**: 14 November 565 (aged 82)
- **death place**: Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire
- **predecessor**: Justin I
- **successor**: Justin II
- **spouse**: Theodora (wife of Justinian I), Theodora
- **dynasty**: Byzantine Empire under the Justinian dynasty, Justinian dynasty
- **house-type**: Imperial Dynasty
- **father**: Sabbatius
- **mother**: Vigilantia