John of Ephesus
For the Monophysites, the religious policy of the couple was controversial. According to John of Ephesus and Michael the Syrian, husband and wife were both initially monophysites who converted to Chalcedonean Christianity to gain favor with their uncle Justinian. During their reign, they attempted but failed to reconcile Chalcedonian and Monophysitic Christianity, which ended in renewed persecution of the latter. Meanwhile, their own beliefs were still in question. John of Ephesus himself was imprisoned during this persecution, presumably contributing to the hostile tone to Justin and Sophia in his writings.