Justinian

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Recommended: Justinian as ruler of Constantinople

Through military conquests, architectural innovation, legal code, and transformational endeavors Justinian recreated the greatness of the Roman Empire in the Byzantine Empire. The sole purpose of Justinian was to build a new Rome, to take the example of his predecessors and transform it into the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Justinian improved upon past Roman laws through the Justinian Code, architecture through structural ingenuity, and religion through the firm foundation of a single faith. The character of Justinian the man, set aside from his various achievements reveals that he possessed similar qualities to earlier Roman emperors and flaws that undermined the Byzantine Empire. The plight of emperor Justinian left a remarkable imprint on the Byzantine Empire in a multitude of ways.
Justinian brought with his reign the construction of countless architectural successes that bolstered his empire into a Golden Age. The most well-known and prominent of his works is the Hagia Sophia, an awe-inspiring structure that upon completion 537 C.E. remained the world’s largest cathedral for hundreds of years to come. It captivated the people with its beautiful gold covered ceilings and felt as if though it were suspended from heaven, this perfection was seen as only possible through the influence of God. Not only was it a place of worship but an attraction that brought many travelers that came to marvel the sight, thus promoting trade and cultural diffusion. The creation of the Wall of Theodosius, Wall of Constantine, aqueducts, roads and the Hippodrome were all beneficial to the Byzantine Empire in terms of economic, cultural, and resistance related undertakings. Constantinople was the Rome of the Byzant...

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...f Procopius sheds new light on the morality of Justinian and offers a thorough explanation to support the claim of his hypocritical nature.
However, despite his internal flaws and choices, the Byzantine Empire made many great achievements under his reign. From the scattered beliefs of the people to one single faith, to the law code that erased all confusion regarding citizens and clarified them, to the lands of the West that were reconquered, and to the construction of ingenious and beautiful structures that astound people to this day. He made three great contributions, the creation of marvelous structures and cities such as Constantinople, a foundation built upon a single faith in God, and the Justinian Code. His political and social reforms, economic successes, and military conquests mark his legacy as a testament to the creation of a new Byzantine Empire.

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