Justinian I
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: Middle Ages
- Categories: Government and Politics, Royalty, Rulers, Nobility, Law, Legal History, Courts
- Subcategories: Authors, Writers, Empires, Dynasties, Emperors, Caesars, Khans, Byzantine Empire
- Curriculum: Medieval History/Middle Ages, Eastern European History, Middle Eastern History
Article abstract: A conscientious man of somber judgment and religious zeal, Justinian was the pivotal emperor in the transition from the later Roman Empire to the Byzantine Empire. He left a legacy of great buildings, a legal compilation that became the foundation of European law, and an enhanced autocratic tradition that helped the Byzantine Empire guard against the onslaught of Islam.
Early Life
Justinian I was born about 483 in Illyria. Nothing is known of his youth, except that his parents were from peasant families originally from Macedonia and had...
[The entire page is 3708 words long]
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