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Justinian I
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Mosaic detail of Emperor Justinian I with a jeweled crown and halo, wearing ornate robes, from the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. Empress Theodora and her retinue Historical map showing the migrations and kingdoms of the Goths during the 5th and 6th centuries AD in Europe. The map uses color shading to distinguish the Ostrogothic and Visigothic kingdoms at different points in time, with arrows marking the migration routes of each group. Key cities such as Milan, Rome, Toulouse, Cartagena, and Toledo are labeled, as well as significant migration dates and the site of the Battle of Vouille in 507. Hagia Sophia Byzantine mosaic showing Emperor Justinian I and Bishop Maximian at the center, surrounded by soldiers on the left and clergy on the right, with intricate patterns framing the scene. Map showing the changing boundaries of the Byzantine Empire around the eastern Mediterranean. Three areas are marked: the largest outline shows the empire's greatest extent under Justinian I (527-565), a medium pink area shows the empire in about 1020, and a smaller red area shows the empire in about 1360. Key regions include Asia Minor, Greece, the Balkans, and parts of Italy, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean coast, with Constantinople marked as the capital. Christian mosaic Justinian I, detail of a mosaic, 6th century; in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna Mosaic portrait of Emperor Justinian I with a jeweled crown and halo, from the 6th-century Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. Justinian I
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Justinian I
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Statue of of the Roman emperor Nero with the lighthouse in the background at Anzio, Lazio region, Italy
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Overlooking the Roman Forum with Temple of Saturn in Rome, Italy
The Roman Empire
Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon in Coronation Robes or Napoleon I Emperor of France, 1804 by Baron Francois Gerard or Baron Francois-Pascal-Simon Gerard, from the Musee National, Chateau de Versailles.
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Justinian I: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

J.B. Bury, A History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodosius I. to the Death of Justinian (a.d. 395ā€“a.d. 565), vol. 2 (1923, reprinted 1958), a narrative survey; P.N. Ure, Justinian and His Age (1951, reprinted 1979), a stimulating account; Robert Browning, Justinian and Theodora, rev. ed. (1987), a good introduction for the general reader; Arnold H.M. Jones, The Later Roman Empire, 284ā€“602: A Social Economic and Administrative Survey, 2 vol. (1964, reprinted 1986), a valuable and objective analysis; John W. Barker, Justinian and the Later Roman Empire (1966, reprinted 1977), a general introduction.

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  • Joan Mervyn Hussey
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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - Justinian. Aug 27, 2026
Anniversary information added. Jan 01, 2026
Anniversary information added. Nov 10, 2025
Add new Web site: Heritage History - The Rise and Fall of Justinian's EmpireĀ—The Role of The Eastern Empire. Oct 18, 2025
Add new Web site: The Met - The Byzantine State under Justinian I (Justinian the Great). Mar 19, 2025
Questions and answers added. Feb 12, 2025
Add new Web site: CUNY Pressbooks Network - Birth of Europe - Justinian I and the rise of Byzantium. Feb 05, 2025
First paragraph modernization. Mar 18, 2024
Add new Web site: Roman Emperors - Justinian. Oct 13, 2023
Add new Web site: Jewish Virtual Library - Justinian I. Sep 01, 2023
Add new Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - Justinian. May 12, 2023
Add new Web site: Encyclopedia Iranica - Justinian I. Dec 29, 2022
Add new Web site: Ancient Origins - Emperor Justinian the Great: The Life and Rule of a Visionary Roman. Oct 08, 2022
Add new Web site: History Today - Death of Justinian I. Aug 31, 2021
Media added. Dec 28, 2020
Changed "Codex Justinianus" to "Code of Justinian." Aug 05, 2019
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Justinian I. Oct 05, 2018
Corrected display issue. Dec 28, 2017
Changed title of the "Assessment" section to "Legacy." Nov 15, 2017
Changed probable birthplace from "south of modern NiÅ”, Serbia" to "near modern Skopje, Macedonia." Aug 27, 2013
Add new Web site: The Met - The Byzantine State under Justinian I (Justinian the Great). Aug 11, 2013
Media added. Sep 26, 2011
Added photograph. Jun 10, 2009
Added new Web site: Quatr.us - Biography of Justinian. May 11, 2009
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Biography of Justinian I. Oct 21, 2008
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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