Justinian I: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 10, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	Flavius Justinianus • Petrus Sabbatius
Born	483
Died	November 14, 565 (aged 82) • Istanbul • Turkey • (Anniversary tomorrow)
Title / Office	emperor (527-565), Byzantine Empire
Notable Family Members	spouse Theodora
Role In	Second Council of Constantinople

Photos

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.

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.

See All Images →

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Code of Justinian: Introduction

Heraclius

Heraclius

Byzantine emperor

default image

Narses

Syrian theologian

Diocletian

Diocletian

Roman emperor

Claudius I

Claudius

Roman emperor

default image

Muʿāwiyah I

Umayyad caliph

Leo III

Leo III

Byzantine emperor

Engraving of Mohammed Ali, founder of modern Egypt, shown with a full white beard, wearing a traditional hat and embroidered jacket, facing slightly to the viewer's left.

Muḥammad ʿAlī

pasha and viceroy of Egypt

default image

Basil II

Byzantine emperor

Belisarius

Belisarius

Byzantine general

Portrait of Mahmud II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, standing in ornate military dress beside a blue-draped table, with a cityscape and green curtain in the background.

Mahmud II

Ottoman sultan

Constans II Pogonatus

Constans II Pogonatus

Byzantine emperor

default image

Harald III Sigurdsson

king of Norway

Maurice

Maurice

Byzantine emperor

Justin I

Justin I

Byzantine emperor

default image

Tribonian

Byzantine legal scholar

default image

Lazarus

New Testament parable figure

default image

Eutropius

Roman author

Jesus

Jacques-Louis David: The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries

Napoleon I

emperor of France

Caravaggio: The Conversion of St. Paul (second version)

St. Paul the Apostle

Christian Apostle

Overlooking the Roman Forum with Temple of Saturn in Rome, Italy

The Roman Empire

Statue of of the Roman emperor Nero with the lighthouse in the background at Anzio, Lazio region, Italy

Roman and Byzantine Emperors Quiz

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.

Kings and Emperors (Part III) Quiz