View source for Justinian I

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox monarch
|name           =Justinian I
|full name      =Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus
| regnal name  = [[Imperator]] [[Caesar (title)|Caesar]] [[Flavia gens#As an imperial title|Flavius]] Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus [[Augustus (title)|Augustus]]
|image= Meister von San Vitale in Ravenna 004.jpg
|caption        =Detail of a contemporary portrait in the [[Basilica of San Vitale]], [[Ravenna]]
|succession     =[[Roman Emperor]] of the [[Byzantine Empire|East]]
|reign          =1 August 527 – 14 November 565 (alone from August 1 527)
|birth_date     = c. 482
|birth_place    = [[Tauresium]], [[Dardania (Roman province)|Dardania, Eastern Roman Empire]] <br> (near today's village of [[Taor]], Republic of Macedonia)
|death_date     = 14 November 565 (aged 82)
|death_place    = [[Constantinople]], Eastern Roman Empire
|predecessor    =[[Justin I]]
|successor      =[[Justin II]]
|spouse         =[[Theodora (wife of Justinian I)|Theodora]]
|dynasty          =[[Byzantine Empire under the Justinian dynasty|Justinian dynasty]]
|house-type     =Imperial Dynasty
|father         =Sabbatius
|mother         =Vigilantia
}}
'''Justinian I''' ({{IPAc-en|dʒ|ʌ|ˈ|s|t|ɪ|n|i|ə|n|}}) ({{lang-la|Iustinianus}}, {{lang-el|Φλάβιος Πέτρος Σαββάτιος Ἰουστινιανός}}) (c. 482 – 14 November 565), commonly known as '''Justinian the Great''', was [[List of Byzantine Emperors|Eastern Roman Emperor]] from 527 until his death. He is considered a saint by [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Christians]]. Justinian simplified Roman laws. These are now called ''[[Corpus Juris Civilis]]''.

== Reign ==
Justinian was born to a Illyrian [[peasant]] farmer family in 482 or [[483]] A.D. Justinian's uncle rose from humble beginnings to become a great general and then Emperor. Justinian was educated by his uncle, who gave him important jobs and appointed him as his successor. It was a [[Wisdom|wise]] decision. Justinian was astute, gifted, and ambitious. He modeled himself after the ancient Roman Caesars. After becoming Emperor in 527, Justinian worked to restore Byzantium to its former glory. 

Justinian proved to be a strong and effective leader in many ways. He significantly enlarged the [[Byzantine Empire|empire’s]] borders. Within those boundaries, he made significant advances in [[government]], [[construction]], and [[law]]. He reformed the Byzantine government in order to increase efficiency and eliminate [[corruption]].  Justinian also embarked on a large-scale construction project. He oversaw the construction of the [[Hagia Sophia]], a church in [[Istanbul|Constantinople]] that is now regarded as a masterpiece of Byzantine [[architecture]]. He also supported numerous other civic projects in the city, including a magnificent new Senate building. 

Justinian was a devout [[Christian]] who was actively involved in religious matters. He punished those found to be heretics, including Jews. He forbade [[Jews]] from erecting or reading the [[Bible]] in [[Hebrew]], for example. Justinian also worked hard to reconcile the early church's differences of opinion. For example, different groups within the church held opposing views on whether [[Jesus Christ]] was fully divine (having the nature of a god) and should be worshiped as an equal to [[God]]. This disagreement persisted long after Justinian's death. 

Justinian's legal reform was far more successful. He reorganized and standardized complicated [[Roman law|Roman laws]], and had the remaining laws written down clearly and logically in a single work known as the [[Code of Justinian]]. This remarkable work served as the foundation of European law until modern times.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1.2 Justinian and Theodora|url=https://mts.cengage.com/course/HRTCF6AZTT23CUQA8808/edition/student/activity/YGFJDAFKLJWJXFWB8395|access-date=February 5, 2023|website=NGLSync}}</ref>

== Other websites ==
{{Commons category|Iustinianus I}}
* [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/procop-anec.html The ''Anekdota'' ("Secret history") of Procopius in English translation.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011231759/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/procop-anec.html |date=2013-10-11 }}
* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Procopius/Buildings/home.html The ''Buildings'' of Procopius in English translation.]
* [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Cours/Ak ''The Roman Law Library'' by Professor Yves Lassard and Alexandr Koptev] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831060912/http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Cours/Ak |date=2012-08-31 }}
* [http://www.anders.com/lectures/lars_brownworth/12_byzantine_rulers/ Lecture series covering 12 Byzantine Rulers, including Justinian] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718092221/http://anders.com/lectures/lars_brownworth/12_byzantine_rulers/ |date=2016-07-18 }} - by Lars Brownworth

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Justinian Dynasty]]||482/483|13 November/14 November|565}}
{{S-reg|}}
{{S-bef | before=[[Justin I]]}}
{{S-ttl |title=[[Byzantine Emperor]] | years=527–565 |regent1=[[Justin I]] |years1=527}}
{{S-aft | after=[[Justin II]]}}
{{S-off}}
{{S-bef | before=Flavius Rusticius,<br /> [[Vitalian (general)|Flavius Vitalianus]]}}
{{S-ttl |title=[[List of late imperial Roman consuls|Consul]] of the [[Roman Empire]] | years=521 |with=Flavius Valerius }}
{{S-aft | after=[[Symmachus (consul 522)|Flavius Symmachus]],<br /> [[Boethius (consul 522)|Flavius Boethius]] }}

{{S-bef | before= [[Vettius Agorius Basilius Mavortius]] }}
{{S-ttl |title=[[List of late imperial Roman consuls|Consul]] of the [[Roman Empire]] | years=528  }}
{{S-aft | after=[[Decius (consul 529)|Flavius Decius]],<br />''II post consulatum Mavortii'' (West) }}
{{s-vac|last=[[Rufius Gennadius Probus Orestes]],<br />[[Lampadius]]}}
{{s-ttl | title= [[List of Roman Consuls|Consul]] of the [[Roman Empire]] | years= 533–534 |with=[[Decius Paulinus]] }}
{{S-aft | after=[[Belisarius]] }}
{{End}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Justinian I}}
[[Category:482 births]]
[[Category:565 deaths]]
[[Category:Byzantine emperors]]
{{bio-stub}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}