Justinian I

Justinian I was Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. He pursued the reconquest of former Roman territories and commissioned the legal compilation known as the Corpus Juris Civilis.

Corpus Juris Civilis: A sixth-century compilation of Roman law commissioned by Justinian I. Its compilation was Justinian’s most enduring legal reform.
Belisarius: A Byzantine general who led major campaigns under Justinian I. His victories in Africa and Italy advanced the emperor’s reconquest policy.
Theodora: Empress of the Byzantine Empire and wife of Justinian I, influential in court and government. She remained a powerful adviser during the crises of Justinian’s reign.
Anastasius I: Byzantine emperor from 491 to 518 whose fiscal and administrative policies strengthened the empire. His accumulated resources helped shape the conditions Justinian inherited.
Gothic War: A series of Byzantine campaigns in Italy from 535 to 554 to end Ostrogothic rule. The costly reconquest brought much of Italy under Justinian’s rule.
Narses: A Byzantine general and court official who helped defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy. His campaign completed the military struggle for Italy after Belisarius’s recall.
Procopius: A sixth-century historian whose works document Justinian’s wars, buildings, and court. His accounts are central sources for both the emperor’s public image and private criticism.
Justin I: Byzantine emperor from 518 to 527 and Justinian’s uncle and predecessor. Justinian rose to power within his uncle’s court before succeeding him.
Hagia Sophia: A monumental church built in Constantinople under Justinian and completed in 537. Its construction expressed imperial authority and transformed Byzantine architecture.
Vandalic War: The Byzantine campaign of 533–534 that overthrew the Vandal kingdom in North Africa. It was Justinian’s first major success in recovering former western Roman territory.

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