Justinian I Rules for the Byzantines
In 533 CE, Justinian I set out to retake control of Carthage and Africa from the Vandals, and succeeded within two years. Encouraged by success, in 535 CE, Justinian I went after Italy and Sicily, which had been controlled by the Goths since 476 CE.
Cartwright, Mark. "Byzantine Empire." Ancient History Encyclopedia. April 28, 2019. Accessed May 02, 2019. https://www.ancient.eu/Byzantine_Empire/
Wyeth, Will. "Justinian I." Ancient History Encyclopedia. April 28, 2019. Accessed May 02, 2019. https://www.ancient.eu/Justinian_I/
Roman law was a twisted mess of contradictory precedent, exemptions, and interpretations scattered in different publications. Justinian's primary legal scholar, Tribonian, ambitiously created the first comprehensive legal code, Codex, in imperial history over the course of 14 months.
Brownworth, Lars. Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization. New York: Crown Publishers, 2010.
The great church of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, burned to the ground in the 532 CE Nika revolt. Christianity was the foundation of Byzantine culture, which Justinian I supported. Within a month, Justinian had two visionary architects set his great plan to work to recreate the largest church in the world within six years.
Wegner, Emma. "Hagia Sophia, 532–37." Metmuseum.org. Accessed May 02, 2019. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haso/hd_haso.htm
Brownworth, Lars. Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization. New York: Crown Publishers, 2010.
During the period of Justinian's rule, settlement and density of the Palestine region reached its highest levels experienced until over 1000 years later. There is evidence to support this from archaeological finds in the region with a migh higher number of artifacts from the Byzantine period than earlier Roman and Hellenistic periods. The rapid groowth is attributed to the rise of Christianity and spread of the Byzantine empire into Palestine in the 6th century, as influenced by Justinian.
Bar, Doron. "Population, Settlement and Economy in Late Roman and Byzantine Palestine (70-641 AD)." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 67, no. 3 (2004): 307-20. Accessed May 2, 2019. http://homepages.uc.edu/~martinj/Latin/Roman_Population/Bar - Population Settlement Economy in Late Roman and Byzantine Palestine.pdf.
Justinian never did anything simply or as others had done before him, he was out to make history and leave a legacy as a result of his rule. Another example of that is the gold coins he minted. Instead of designing the coin with the traditional profile, he designed it with his portrait front facing, which became the standard for the resto of the Byzantine. This was also a way for Justinian to connect with his soldiers, because this is how he paid them.
Weinfiels, Elizabeth, Philomena Mariani, and Heather Johnson. "Gold Solidus of Justinian I (527–65)." Metmuseum.org. Accessed May 02, 2019. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/99.35.7406/.
The Byzantine capital, Constantinople, varied in levels of protection over the centuries, before and after Justinian's rule. Because the city was located on a peninsula, a wall along the west side of the city provided protection and the location apparently changed as the population changed.
L, Jack. "Why the Number of Countries in the World Is a Difficult Question." Pinterest. Accessed May 02, 2019. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/454793262351325328/.