Justinian I Important Role In World History Essay Example

to restore the empire to its former extent during the time of the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, these immense military campaigns virtually depleted the empire's treasury.

Despite Justinian's efforts, he ultimately had to pay Persia for peace in order to have freedom in the west. However, even after his extensive endeavors, upon his death, most of Italy remained recaptured, leaving Justinian's dream of restoring the empire to its former glory unfulfilled (The Empire at the time of Justinian). The westerners resisted embracing certain aspects of the Roman legacy, including Roman taxation, Roman justice, and imperial influences in their lives.

The Easterners were reluctant to spend money defending western conquests and were financially struggling due to the expenses of these wars. In the midst of these conflicts, Justinian had to increase taxes to fund the war efforts and reconstruct the city, which had been burned during the Nika Revolt. The wars resulted in significant losses, leaving Italy devastated for centuries thereafter.

Alongside this, Rome's grand structures may have survived if Justinian had allowed the Ostrogoths to remain in Italy. Although Justinian's reconquests in the western regions were not enduring, his actions did bring about the downfall or weakening of civilized Germanic tribes. The lone tribe unaffected by Justinian's actions was the Burgundians, who lacked sufficient numbers to halt the new invaders in the west following Justinian's demise. These invaders subsequently attacked the Byzantine Empire due to its weakened state. Subsequently, both the Eastern and Western communities sought to restore the empire. Finally, in 632 AD, the Byzantines emerged victorious over the Persians, but faced opposition from both Muslim armies looking to overthrow them. This raised confusion for Justinian regarding

many of Byzantium's laws.

Due to the existence of multiple outdated and conflicting laws, as well as the absence of a comprehensive compilation, a commission was appointed to address this problem. Their investigation led to the publication of the Code of Justinian, which incorporated imperial decrees, legal opinions from judges and lawyers, and even a law textbook for students. This code granted greater authority to Justinian over provincial governors and facilitated more efficient financing for military expeditions against Persia and neighboring countries.

Roman law provided the foundation for civil law, with numerous countries incorporating various aspects of the code into their legal systems. Furthermore, it served as a blueprint for developing new laws and legal systems, resulting in the continued utilization of many legal maxims from Justinian's Code.

The Code of Justinian was published on April 7, 529 and is considered equally significant and well-known as Hammurabi's Code. There are similarities between parts of Justinian's Code and Hammurabi's Code (Justinian). Additionally, Justinian's religious beliefs are often overlooked.

Justinian, a Byzantine emperor, was known for his strong religious convictions. In his efforts to promote Christianity, he suppressed non-Christian culture by eliminating pagan teachers and schools of pagan philosophy. The term "Justice" is derived from Justinian's name and legacy. Additionally, Justinian was married to Theodora, a renowned actress.

The impact of Justinian's development in western Europe on the Middle Ages was significant. Both his successes and failures played a crucial role in shaping history. Justinian is widely recognized as the last influential Roman Emperor (Justinian).

Justinian saw himself as the person who would revive the power and prestige of the Roman Empire during his era. Regarding architecture, Justinian took action to renovate several

ancient Roman Churches. The most notable and impressive among them is St. Sophia, also referred to as the Church of exceptional architectural wonders from the medieval period.

During his reign in the Byzantine Empire, Justinian restored many churches as gifts and monuments to showcase his greatness. His goal was to create a permanent record of his achievements, so he also built a hospital for the poor that offered free medical care. These new monuments were essential to glorify the empire and provide much-needed public buildings. In fact, Justinian's building projects surpassed even Constantine's, who had been the greatest builder among Christian emperors in the empire until then. Alongside architecture, Justinian also promoted art and literature.

Despite Christian opposition and accusations of blasphemy, Classical Greek Literature and the arts eventually received support. Gradually, Christian thinkers began to value the wisdom found in Greek literature, partly due to Justinian's influence. An important decision made by Justinian was granting permission for teachers in Athens, who still held onto their pagan beliefs, to carry on educating about the Classics. Nevertheless, he also presented them with an opportunity to embrace Christianity. Upon their refusal, he shut down the cultural events in the capital city, leading to the rise of numerous notable literary figures during his reign.

Their works were greatly impacted by Plato, the Greek philosopher. Rejecting Classical Greek teachings in favor of Christianity would have meant sacrificing a substantial part of his heritage for Justinian. Though his restoration dream failed, Justinian achieved success in multiple domains such as architecture and the famous Code of Justinian, which continue to exist till now.

Parts of the code can be found in laws from different countries.

Justinian, a significant ruler, had a beneficial impact on his empire and the world today. His influence is documented in the Bibliography: Bibliography Empire at the time of Justinian, The- www.greece.org/Romiosini/constple.html Justinian- www.ukans.edu/kansas/medieval/108/lectures/justinian.html Justinian’s Code- www.wwlia.org/history.htm#529 Reign of Justinian, The - www.ukans.org/kansas/medieval/108/justinian.html *All authors are unknown.