Download - The Legacy of Justinian - mrcaseyhistory · PDF fileHer act was so popular, the Emperor Justinian fell in love with Theodora, and in fact he changed the law of the empire so he could

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NuncAgenda:Workingwithyourpartner,answerthefollowingquestionabouttheByzantineEmpireusingyourpriorknowledge.Trytoanswerthemwithoutlooking,butifyougetstuck,checkTheLastingLegacyofRome.FrankandNikoarehavingaheatedargumentduringlunch…Frank:Ok,so,Iputonmytimelinethattheyear476CEwastheendoftheRomanEmpire…Niko:Well,Imean,technically,itwasn’t.Theempirelivedonforlikeanotherthousandyears.Frank:Wait,areyouserious?!DoIhavetoredomywholetimelinenow?!Niko:Idon’tknowman.IjustknowthattheByzantineEmpiredidn’tfalluntil1453.Frank:Holdon,areyoutalkingabouttheRomanEmpireortheByzantineEmpire?Niko:Um…both?Canyouhelptheseguysout?WhatistheconnectionbetweentheRomanandByzantineEmpires?

The Legacy of Justinian Thegoalofthisactivityistodetermine,overall,whetherJustinianwasagoodemperorfortheByzantineEmpire.Asagroup,analyzeanddiscussthetextanddocumentsineachsectiontodecidewhetheryoufeelitshowsJustinianinamostlypositiveormostlynegativelight.Keepinmindthatoftenthesameinformationcanbe“spun”tosupporteitherside,sofeelfreetothinkoutsidethebox.Eitheranswercanbecorrectifyouhaveanevidence-basedargumenttosupportit.Rememberthateveryoneshouldfollowhisorherchosengrouproles.Afterdiscussingeachsectionforafewminutes,wewillpausetovoteasaclassonwhethertheexampleshowsJustinianasgoodorbad.Envoyswillholduptheirsignsonbehalfofthegroup,andwillbereadytoexplaintheirreasoning.

RELIGIOUSUNITYEmperorJustinian’seffortstocreateanempireunitedbyasinglefaithisdescribedbyhisofficialcourthistorianProcopius.InthebookBuildings,writtenduringJustinian’slife,Procopiussays……AndfindingthatthebeliefinGodwas…strayingintoerrors(i.e.heresy,unorthodoxbeliefs)…hebroughtitaboutthatitstoodonthefirmfoundationofasinglefaith.However,thiswasgenerallyachievedthroughsuppressionandpersecutionofvarioushereticalgroupsthroughouttheEmpire.AmongthehereticalgroupspersecutedweretheMonophysites,Arians,andespeciallyManichaeans.AccordingtoJohnofEphesus,whowroteduringthelifetimeofJustinian…Manypeopleadheredto(followed)thedeadlyerroroftheManichaeans.Theyusedtomeetinhousesandhearthemysteriesofthatimpuredoctrine.Whentheywerearrested,theyweretakenintothepresenceof

theEmperorwhohopedtoconvertthem.Hedisputedwiththembutcouldnotconvincethem.[AtthecommandoftheEmperor,they]wereburned…andtheirpropertywasconfiscated(taken).Therewereamongthemillustrious(well-respected)women,nobles,andsenators.

BLUE:ArgueFORJustinian GREEN:ArgueAGAINSTJustinian

RAISINGFUNDSAfterJustiniandied,hiscourthistorianProcopiuswroteanewbook,theSecretHistory,inwhichhepresentedadifferentpictureofthegreatEmperor…Justinianwas…crusty,critical,secretivebytemperament,two-faced:Acleverfellowwithmarvelousabilitytoconcealhisrealopinion…lyingallthetime…JustinianwasknownforusingtrickerytocollectmoremoneyforhismilitarycampaignstoreconquertheWesternRomanEmpirefromtheGermanickings.InoneaccountbythecourthistorianProcopius,aByzantinesoldiernamedJohnwastakencaptivebytheenemy,whodemandedpaymenttofreehim…Sohis[grandmother],whowasstillliving,gottogetheraransomnotlessthantwothousandpoundsofsilver,andwasreadytopurchasehergrandson'sliberty.But…theEmperorheardofthebargainandforbadeit:sayingthatRomanwealthmustnotbegiventothebarbarians.Notlongafterthis,Johnfellillanddepartedfromthisworld,whereupontheGovernorofthecityforged(faked)aletterwhich,hesaid,Johnhadwrittenhimasafriendnotlongbefore,[saying]thathewishedhisestate(allhiswealth)togototheEmperor.


THEODORAThewifeofJustinian,theEmpressTheodora,camefromthelowerclassinsociety.Infact,shewasadancerandacourtesan(high-levelprostitute),butshecapturedtheheartoftheEmperor,andsoonbecameatremendouspowerbehindthethrone.Infact,Justiniandescribedherashisco-equalruler.AccordingtoProfessorThomasMartinPhDoftheCollegeoftheHolyCross…

Heractwasso…popular,theEmperorJustinianfellinlovewithTheodora,andinfacthechangedthelawoftheempiresohecouldmarrythiswoman.Why?Shewasbeautiful.Evenherenemiessayshewas…oh-so-beautiful,butshewasalsooh-so-smart.That’sclearlyoneofthereasonsJustinianfellsodeeplyinlovewithherandremainedinlovewithher.


THENIKARIOTSFiveyear’sintohisreign,atachariotracebetweentheBlueteamandtheGreenteam,angrysportsfansintheHippodrome,unhappywiththeEmperor’srule,beganariotagainsttheEmperorthatdestroyedthecityofConstantinople.Theycried“Nika”meaning“Conquer.”Theteamsrepresentedmorethanjustsports.Theywerealsosimilartopoliticalparties.AccordingtoProfessorPhilipDaileaderPhDoftheCollegeof

WilliamandMary,“It’sasifYankeesandMetsfansdecidedtooverthrowthemayorofNewYork(City).”AccordingtoProfessorThomasMartinPhDoftheCollegeoftheHolyCross…Justinianwassoterrifiedthathewasliterallyonthedocks,readytogointoexile…atwhichpointhiswife,thebeautifulandformidableTheodora,says,“I’mnotgoing.”…Shesays,“I’manempress,I’mnotrunningaway…Purpleisagreatcolorforafuneral.I’mstaying.”Justinianwassoshocked,[that]hedidn’tgo.WithTheodora’sadvice,hecalledintheshocktroops,andslaughtered30,000fanswhotheyhadluredtothehorseracingstadium.Shesavedhimfromthrowingawayhisempire.

BLUE:ArgueFORJustinian GREEN:ArgueAGAINSTJustinianTHEHAGIASOPHIAOneofthemostwell-knownaccomplishmentsofJustinian’sreignisthebuildingofthemagnificentdomedcathedral,theHagiaSophiaor“HolyWisdom.”ItbecamethesymbolofByzantinearchitecture,imitatedthroughouttheages.WhentheHagiaSophiawascompletedin537CE,Procopiuswrote…

Inheightitrisestotheveryheavens…Aspherical-shapeddome…makesitexceedinglybeautiful:fromthelightnessofthebuildingitdoesnotappeartorestuponsolidfoundation,butto…besuspendedfromheaven…Theentireceilingiscoveredwithpuregold,whichaddsglorytothebeauty,thoughtheraysoflightreflecteduponthegoldfromthemarblesurpassitinbeauty…Andwheneveranyoneentersthischurchtopray,heunderstandsatoncethatitisnotbyanyhumanstrengthorskill,butbytheinfluenceofGod,thatthisworkhasbeenperfected.AndsohismindislifteduptowardGod…Moreover,itisimpossibletodescribethetreasureofgoldandsilverplateandgems,whichtheEmperorJustinianhaspresentedtoit.


JUSTINIAN’SCODEOneofJustinian’smostfamousaccomplishmentswashisLawCode.JustinianrealizedthelawsoftheRomanEmpirewerelong,confusing,andsometimescontradictory.Hecreatedacommissiontocollect,organize,andrevisethemintoanewbodyoflawcalledtheCorpusJurisCivilis,commonlyknownasJustinian’sCode.AlthoughJustinianhimselfdiedin565,hiscodeservedtheByzantineEmpirefor900years.HisofficialcourthistorianProcopiuswroteaboutthereorganizedlawcode,saying…Findingthelawsobscure(confusing)becausetheyhadbecomefarmorenumerousthantheyshouldbe,andobviousconfusionbecausetheydisagreedwitheachother,hepreservedthem[intheLawCodeofEmperorJustinian,529CE]…bycontrollingtheirdiscrepancieswiththegreatestfirmness.TheintroductiontotheCodeofJustinianstates…Theprecepts(principles)ofthelawarethese:tolivehonestly,toinjurenoone,andtogiveeverymanhisdue.

BLUE:ArgueFORJustinian GREEN:ArgueAGAINSTJustinianPLAGUEOFJUSTINIANWhileJustinianwasbusyfightingenemiesintheWest,therewasamorepowerfulenemyalreadyinhismidst:theBubonicPlague,adevastatingdiseasethateveninfectedEmperorJustinian.AccordingtoIshaanTharoorofTIMEmagazine…

…JustinianisrememberedforhavingtriedtorestorethefallengloryofancientRomebywagingaseriesofmilitarycampaignstoretakelandsthathadbeenoverrunbybarbariantribes.But,whileJustinian'sarmieswerefleetinglysuccessful,anotherscourgebearinghisnamewasfardeadlier.AroundA.D.540,adiseasebornebyratsinEgypt—longthebreadbasketoftheMediterraneanworld—spreadtotheByzantinecapitalatConstantinople(modern-dayIstanbul)where,bysomeaccounts,itclaimed5,000livesadayandkillednearlyhalftheancientmetropolis'population.Fromthere,theplaguemovedeastandwest,becomingantiquity'smostlethalknownpandemic.Halfacenturyafteritbegan,between25millionand100millioninEuropeandAsiahaddied.SomehistorianssaythedamagewassogreattothePersianandByzantineempiresthatitmadethemvulnerabletotheMuslimconquestsofthenextcentury.ThedevastationtheplaguewroughtmayhavealsousheredintheperiodnowknownastheDarkAgesinEurope.

ProcopiuswritesaboutJustinian’sresponsetothePlagueintheSecretHistory,saying…When[plague]sweptthroughthewholeknownworldandnotablytheRomanEmpire,wipingoutmostofthefarmingcommunityand…leavingatrailofdesolationinitswake,Justinianshowednomercytowardstheruined[farmers].Eventhen,hedidnotrefrain(holdback)fromdemandingtheannualtax,notonlytheamount[of]eachindividual,butalsotheamountforwhichhisdeceasedneighbors[owed].

BLUE:ArgueFORJustinian GREEN:ArgueAGAINSTJustinianSummary:Consideringalltheevidence,wasJustinianagoodemperor?Reflection:Whatqualitiesandactionsmakesomeoneagoodruler?