Justinian and Theodora both started out in the lower class of society, and slowly worked their way up to emperor and empress. Justinian was a Macedonian boy who was adopted by Justin I, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Theodora was initially an actor, a profession held in low esteem by most upper class Byzantines. When Justin I died, Justinian came to power and married Theodora who became empress. They ruled the Byzantine empire from 527-565 A.D. Among most historians, Justinian is considered the best of all Byzantine emperors. Although Theodora was an important Byzantine leader, Justinian was more historically significant due to his law reforms, military conquests, and architectural developments. One reason Justinian was a significant
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When Eastern and Western Rome were united, Rome completely surrounded the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, it was called the “Roman Lake” because the sea paled in comparison to the mighty empire. When the empire split and Western Rome fell, barbarians poured across the border and took over all the land that used to belong to the great empire. Justinian’s greatest desire was to restore Rome to its former glory, and reclaim the land he thought belonged to the Byzantine Empire. He sent his generals, Belisarius and Narses, on a campaign to reclaim the land. They reconquered the Vandals in North Africa (a barbarian tribe so brutal, they’re name is the origin of vandalism,) and the Ostrogoths in Italy. Also, conquering the barbarians caused needed money and wealth to flow into the Byzantine Empire. Under Justinian, the Byzantine Empire reached its peak in land …show more content…
Perhaps the greatest reminder of Justinian’s power is the Hagia Sophia. Until the creation of St. Peter’s Basilica, Hagia Sophia was the largest domed building ever made. What made this achievement even more significant was that the building had a rectangular base. No one before Justinian had ever made such a large dome; never mind putting it on a quadrilateral base. For this alone Justinian deserves an award, but that is not all. Justinian had his architects make the dome stronger by inventing pendentives. Pendentives are the pieces that connect a circular dome to a rectangular base. This made the dome of the Hagia Sophia stronger; therefore it could be bigger. Also, Justinian played a large role in spreading mosaic art. Mosaics are tiny pieces of tile or glass put together to make a picture. Justinian had all of his churches adorned with mosaics, spreading the new art work around the world. Justinian made a huge impact on architecture and
When Eastern and Western Rome were united, Rome completely surrounded the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, it was called the “Roman Lake” because the sea paled in comparison to the mighty empire. When the empire split and Western Rome fell, barbarians poured across the border and took over all the land that used to belong to the great empire. Justinian’s greatest desire was to restore Rome to its former glory, and reclaim the land he thought belonged to the Byzantine Empire. He sent his generals, Belisarius and Narses, on a campaign to reclaim the land. They reconquered the Vandals in North Africa (a barbarian tribe so brutal, they’re name is the origin of vandalism,) and the Ostrogoths in Italy. Also, conquering the barbarians caused needed money and wealth to flow into the Byzantine Empire. Under Justinian, the Byzantine Empire reached its peak in land …show more content…
Perhaps the greatest reminder of Justinian’s power is the Hagia Sophia. Until the creation of St. Peter’s Basilica, Hagia Sophia was the largest domed building ever made. What made this achievement even more significant was that the building had a rectangular base. No one before Justinian had ever made such a large dome; never mind putting it on a quadrilateral base. For this alone Justinian deserves an award, but that is not all. Justinian had his architects make the dome stronger by inventing pendentives. Pendentives are the pieces that connect a circular dome to a rectangular base. This made the dome of the Hagia Sophia stronger; therefore it could be bigger. Also, Justinian played a large role in spreading mosaic art. Mosaics are tiny pieces of tile or glass put together to make a picture. Justinian had all of his churches adorned with mosaics, spreading the new art work around the world. Justinian made a huge impact on architecture and