Justinian I, Justinian the Great, ruled the Byzantine Empire from 527 A.D. to 565 A.D. Born a peasant, Justinian grew with the help of his uncle, Justin I and under his tutelage the Byzantine Empire flourished; establishing a legacy for Justinian and his people. After gaining the trust of his people, Justinian dedicated himself to fostering the cultural and economic growth of his empire. He created a code of conduct with a well-informed panel of citizens and although Justinian died in 565, his code served the Byzantine Empire for almost 900 years after his death and can be found rooted in European law today. This paper will examine the significance of Justinian’s rule to the Byzantine Empire and the effects of his legacy, through exploration
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Building programs for emperors were not always for the sole benefit of the people but also for propaganda. Justinian’s building plan had followed many riots so it is quite possible that he constructed his program with the hopes of gaining his people’s trust; no matter the intentions of Justinian he still created a building program that greatly improved his empire and shaped his legacy. Justinian’s building program contained four main facets: religious, defense, amenities for the public, and controlled water supply. Primarily, Justinian built means of protection for his people; he rebuilt city walls and constructed forts and places of refuge for the victims of barbarian raids. Justinian also created colonnaded streets, baths, city squares, roads, and monuments for the enjoyment of his people. In the past he had constructed aqueducts and conduits but they were quite far from Constantinople, which was often subject to either a lack of water or, when there were floods, an abundance of water, so flood control became a major concern for Justinian. He built churches and monasteries for his people, but by far Justinian’s most significant architectural achievement was the rebuilding of the Hagia Sophia, which was a church at the time. From 532 to 537, after a sporting riot destroyed the original, the rebuilding of the Hagia Sophia was the paramount of Justinian’s building efforts. …show more content…
Justinian was responsible for the codification of Roman Law. Before Justinian's successful code, there were three other efforts to codify the law. Justinian organized a commission/panel to create a code of laws called "The Digest(a)". The Digest was published in 533 and was a condensation of 1,528 Latin Law books.The Digest rewrote laws the panel saw unfit and created a fair and just legal system that is still embedded in European law today. Justinian also published the Institutes which became curriculum in law schools across his empire. Ultimately, the creation of the Digest was, by far, the most influential impact Justinian made because it positively influenced the legal system for thousands of years after Justinian’s empire
Building programs for emperors were not always for the sole benefit of the people but also for propaganda. Justinian’s building plan had followed many riots so it is quite possible that he constructed his program with the hopes of gaining his people’s trust; no matter the intentions of Justinian he still created a building program that greatly improved his empire and shaped his legacy. Justinian’s building program contained four main facets: religious, defense, amenities for the public, and controlled water supply. Primarily, Justinian built means of protection for his people; he rebuilt city walls and constructed forts and places of refuge for the victims of barbarian raids. Justinian also created colonnaded streets, baths, city squares, roads, and monuments for the enjoyment of his people. In the past he had constructed aqueducts and conduits but they were quite far from Constantinople, which was often subject to either a lack of water or, when there were floods, an abundance of water, so flood control became a major concern for Justinian. He built churches and monasteries for his people, but by far Justinian’s most significant architectural achievement was the rebuilding of the Hagia Sophia, which was a church at the time. From 532 to 537, after a sporting riot destroyed the original, the rebuilding of the Hagia Sophia was the paramount of Justinian’s building efforts. …show more content…
Justinian was responsible for the codification of Roman Law. Before Justinian's successful code, there were three other efforts to codify the law. Justinian organized a commission/panel to create a code of laws called "The Digest(a)". The Digest was published in 533 and was a condensation of 1,528 Latin Law books.The Digest rewrote laws the panel saw unfit and created a fair and just legal system that is still embedded in European law today. Justinian also published the Institutes which became curriculum in law schools across his empire. Ultimately, the creation of the Digest was, by far, the most influential impact Justinian made because it positively influenced the legal system for thousands of years after Justinian’s empire