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Justinian II (668-711), later known as Justinian the Slit-Nosed, was the eldest son of Emperor Constantine IV, and became joint emperor in 681. He later succeeded his father as sole emperor in 685, aged sixteen. Justinian was ambitious and passionate, wishing to restore the emperor to former glories and past successes.<br/><br/> However, Justinian's lack of finesse and his poor attitude towards any opposition to his will led to resistance throughout his reign. He was eventually deposed in a popular uprising led by Leontios in 695, who proclaimed himself emperor and exiled Justinian after having his nose cut off. Justinian soon began plotting his return from exile in Crimea, gathering supporters to him. Justinian eventually regained the throne in 705 from usurper emperor Tiberios, having both Tiberios and the imprisoned Leontios dragged out in public and executing them.<br/><br/> His second reign was even more contentious, marked by his turning on those who had helped him reclaim the throne. Another uprising eventually occurred, led by the exiled General Bardanes. Justinian, who had been on his way to Armenia, attempted to once more rouse support for his claim, but he was arrested and executed in 711 instead, ending the Heraclian dynasty.
Maurice (539-602) was born in Cappadocia and quickly rose to become a prominent general in his youth, with numerous successes under his belt from campaigning against the Sassanid Empire. He married Constantina, Emperor Tiberius II's daughter, and succeeded his father-in-law as emperor in 582, inheriting a tumultuous situation of numerous warring fronts and high tributes to Avar barbarians.<br/><br/> Maurice quickly brought the war against the Sassanids to a victorious conclusion and vastly expanded the Byzantine Empire's eastern border in the Caucasus. He pushed the Avars back across the Danube River in 599, and became the first Roman emperor to campaign across the Danube in over two centuries. In the West, Maurice established two large semi-autonomous provinces known as exarchates. One was established in Italy, in Ravenna, while the other was in Africa, solidifying Constantinople's power in the western Mediterranean.<br/><br/> Maurice's reign was troubled with almost constant warfare and financial difficulties however, resulting in a dissatisfied general rising up and executing Maurice and his six sons in 602. This proved cataclysmic to the Empire, leading to a twenty-six year war with the Sassanids that left both empires devastated prior to the rise of the Muslim conquests.
Tiberius II Constantine (520-582) was born in Thrace and close friend to future emperor Justin II. Tiberius became commander of the Excubitors imperial guard, and when Justin II acceded to emperor, Tiberius was made his chief military commander. When Justin had a mental breakdown, his wife Sophia turned to Tiberius to manage the empire, and he was later named co-emperor and adopted son by Justin in 574.<br/><br/> Tiberius became sole emperor after Justin died in 578, and almost had to deal with a plot to overthrow him perpetrated by Justin's widow, the dowager empress Sophia. The conspiracy failed, and Tiberius returned his attention to fighting the Sassanids in the east, as well as towards military activities in the remnants of the Western Roman Empire.<br/><br/> By the time of his death from food poisoning in 582, the Eastern Roman Empire had become too overextended, the war against the Sassanids dragging on while raids by Avars and Slav migrations drained imperial resources. He named his general Maurice as his successor, seeing him married to his daughter Constantina before passing away.
Justin II (520-578) was the nephew of Emperor Justinian I and had supposedly been named his heir on the emperor's deathbed. Justin's early rule relied completely on the support of the aristocratic party, and faced with an empty treasury, he stopped paying off potential enemies as his uncle had done, leading to Avar invasions across the Danube river.<br/><br/> Justin renewed conflict with the Sassanid Empire, refusing to pay tribute and making overtures with the Turks. However, he oversaw two disastrous campaigns that saw the Persians taking Syria and capturing the vitally important fortress of Dara. It was after these events that Justin reportedly lost his mind, falling into temporary bouts of insanity.<br/><br/> Jusitn was advised by his wife Sophia to name a successor during his brief periods of sanity, choosing the general Tiberius over his own relatives in 574, adopting him as a son before withdrawing into retirement. He died four years later in 578, his insanity growing worse the whole time.
Justinian I (482 - 565), also known as Justinian the Great or Saint Justinian the Great, was the nephew of Emperor Justin I, originally born from a peasant family in Tauresium. Justin, before he became emperor, adopted Justinian and raised him in Constantinople. Justinian served in the Imperial Guard, the Excubitors, just as his uncle had, and was made associate emperor in 527 before becoming sole emperor when Justin died in the same year.<br/><br/> Justinian was ambitious and clever, and sought to revive the empire's greatness, planning the reconquest of the western half of the Roman Empire in what was known as <i>renovatio imperii</i> (restoration of the Empire). Justinian was hard-working and known as 'the emperor who never sleeps'. He nearly lost his throne during the Nika riots, and nearly lost his life during the Justinian Plague of the early 540s.<br/><br/> Justinian was a devout Christian and theologian, and his partial recovery of lost Roman territories led him to be called by some as one of the 'last Romans'. His uniform rewriting of Roman law, the 'Corpus Juris Civilis' is perhaps his greatest legacy, which is still used as the basis of civil law in many modern nations. His restoration activities included the building of the Hagia Sophia. He died in 565 without an heir, succeeded by his nephew Justin II.
Justin I (450 - 527) was a peasant and swineherd by birth, and after fleeing to Constantinople from a barbaric invasion, joined the army. His ability and skill saw him rise through the ranks to eventually become a general under Emperor Anastasius I. Justin I became so close to the emperor that by the time of his death in 518, Justin had become commander of the Excubitors, the palace guard.<br/><br/> When Anastasius died in 518, Justin was able to secure election as emperor due to his position and carefully placed bribes to the troops in the city. He wisely surorunded himself with trusted advisors, due to his inexperience with statecraft. One of his closest advisors was his nephew, the future Justinian I.<br/><br/> His latter ruling years were marked by constant attacks from the Ostrogoths and Persians, as well as the destruction of Antioch by an earthquake. Justin's health began to decline and he formally named Justinian his co-emperor in 527, dying later in the same year and making Justinian sole ruler. He founded the Justinian Dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire for almost 100 years.
Maurice (539-602) was born in Cappadocia and quickly rose to become a prominent general in his youth, with numerous successes under his belt from campaigning against the Sassanid Empire. He married Constantina, Emperor Tiberius II's daughter, and succeeded his father-in-law as emperor in 582, inheriting a tumultuous situation of numerous warring fronts and high tributes to Avar barbarians.<br/><br/> Maurice quickly brought the war against the Sassanids to a victorious conclusion and vastly expanded the Byzantine Empire's eastern border in the Caucasus. He pushed the Avars back across the Danube River in 599, and became the first Roman emperor to campaign across the Danube in over two centuries. In the West, Maurice established two large semi-autonomous provinces known as exarchates. One was established in Italy, in Ravenna, while the other was in Africa, solidifying Constantinople's power in the western Mediterranean.<br/><br/> Maurice's reign was troubled with almost constant warfare and financial difficulties however, resulting in a dissatisfied general rising up and executing Maurice and his six sons in 602. This proved cataclysmic to the Empire, leading to a twenty-six year war with the Sassanids that left both empires devastated prior to the rise of the Muslim conquests.
Tiberius II Constantine (520-582) was born in Thrace and close friend to future emperor Justin II. Tiberius became commander of the Excubitors imperial guard, and when Justin II acceded to emperor, Tiberius was made his chief military commander. When Justin had a mental breakdown, his wife Sophia turned to Tiberius to manage the empire, and he was later named co-emperor and adopted son by Justin in 574.<br/><br/> Tiberius became sole emperor after Justin died in 578, and almost had to deal with a plot to overthrow him perpetrated by Justin's widow, the dowager empress Sophia. The conspiracy failed, and Tiberius returned his attention to fighting the Sassanids in the east, as well as towards military activities in the remnants of the Western Roman Empire.<br/><br/> By the time of his death from food poisoning in 582, the Eastern Roman Empire had become too overextended, the war against the Sassanids dragging on while raids by Avars and Slav migrations drained imperial resources. He named his general Maurice as his successor, seeing him married to his daughter Constantina before passing away.
Turkey / Byzantium: Justin II (520-578), Byzantine emperor, from the book <i>Icones imperatorvm romanorvm</i> (Icons of Roman Emperors), Antwerp, c. 1645. Justin was the nephew of Emperor Justinian I and had supposedly been named his heir on the emperor's deathbed. Justin's early rule relied completely on the support of the aristocratic party, and faced with an empty treasury, he stopped paying off potential enemies as his uncle had done, leading to Avar invasions across the Danube river.
Turkey / Byzantium: Justin I (450-527), Byzantine emperor, from the book <i>Icones imperatorvm romanorvm</i> (Icons of Roman Emperors), Antwerp, c. 1645. Justin I was a peasant and swineherd by birth, and after fleeing to Constantinople from an invasion, joined the army. His ability and skill saw him rise through the ranks to eventually become a general under Emperor Anastasius I. Justin I became so close to the emperor that by the time of his death in 518, Justin had become commander of the Excubitors, the palace guard. He was able to secure election as emperor due to his position and carefully placed bribes to the troops in the city.
Justinian II (668-711), later known as Justinian the Slit-Nosed, was the eldest son of Emperor Constantine IV, and became joint emperor in 681. He later succeeded his father as sole emperor in 685, aged sixteen. Justinian was ambitious and passionate, wishing to restore the emperor to former glories and past successes.<br/><br/> However, Justinian's lack of finesse and his poor attitude towards any opposition to his will led to resistance throughout his reign. He was eventually deposed in a popular uprising led by Leontios in 695, who proclaimed himself emperor and exiled Justinian after having his nose cut off. Justinian soon began plotting his return from exile in Crimea, gathering supporters to him. Justinian eventually regained the throne in 705 from usurper emperor Tiberios, having both Tiberios and the imprisoned Leontios dragged out in public and executing them.<br/><br/> His second reign was even more contentious, marked by his turning on those who had helped him reclaim the throne. Another uprising eventually occurred, led by the exiled General Bardanes. Justinian, who had been on his way to Armenia, attempted to once more rouse support for his claim, but he was arrested and executed in 711 instead, ending the Heraclian dynasty.
Justinian I (482-565), also known as Justinian the Great or Saint Justinian the Great, was the nephew of Emperor Justin I, originally born from a peasant family in Tauresium. Justin, before he became emperor, adopted Justinian and raised him in Constantinople. Justinian served in the Imperial Guard, the Excubitors, just as his uncle had, and was made associate emperor in 527 before becoming sole emperor when Justin died in the same year.<br/><br/> Justinian was ambitious and clever, and sought to revive the empire's greatness, planning the reconquest of the western half of the Roman Empire in what was known as 'renovatio imperii' (restoration of the Empire). Justinian was hard-working and known as 'the emperor who never sleeps'. He nearly lost his throne during the Nika riots, and nearly lost his life during the Justinian Plague of the early 540s.<br/><br/> Justinian was a devout Christian and theologian, and his partial recovery of lost Roman territories led him to be called by some as one of the 'last Romans'. His uniform rewriting of Roman law, the 'Corpus Juris Civilis' is perhaps his greatest legacy, which is still used as the basis of civil law in many modern nations. His restoration activities included the building of the Hagia Sophia. He died in 565 without an heir, succeeded by his nephew Justin II.
Tiberius II Constantine (520-582) was born in Thrace and a close friend of the future emperor Justin II. Tiberius became commander of the Excubitors imperial guard, and when Justin II acceded to emperor, Tiberius was made his chief military commander. When Justin had a mental breakdown, his wife Sophia turned to Tiberius to manage the empire, and he was later named co-emperor and adopted son by Justin in 574.<br/><br/> Tiberius became sole emperor after Justin died in 578, and almost immediately had to deal with a plot to overthrow him perpetrated by Justin's widow, the dowager empress Sophia. The conspiracy failed, and Tiberius turned his attention to fighting the Sassanids in the east, as well as towards military activities in the remnants of the Western Roman Empire.<br/><br/> By the time of his death from food poisoning in 582, the Eastern Roman Empire had become overextended, the war against the Sassanids dragging on while raids by Avars and Slav migrations drained imperial resources. He named his general Maurice as his successor, seeing him married to his daughter Constantina before passing away.
Justinian I (482-565), also known as Justinian the Great or Saint Justinian the Great, was the nephew of Emperor Justin I, originally born from a peasant family in Tauresium. Justin, before he became emperor, adopted Justinian and raised him in Constantinople. Justinian served in the Imperial Guard, the Excubitors, just as his uncle had, and was made associate emperor in 527 before becoming sole emperor when Justin died in the same year.<br/><br/> Justinian was ambitious and clever, and sought to revive the empire's greatness, planning the reconquest of the western half of the Roman Empire in what was known as <i>renovatio imperii</i> (restoration of the Empire). Justinian was hard-working and known as 'the emperor who never sleeps'. He nearly lost his throne during the Nika riots, and nearly lost his life during the Justinian Plague of the early 540s.<br/><br/> Justinian was a devout Christian and theologian, and his partial recovery of lost Roman territories led him to be called by some as one of the 'last Romans'. His uniform rewriting of Roman law, the <i>Corpus Juris Civilis</i> is perhaps his greatest legacy, which is still used as the basis of civil law in many modern nations. His restoration activities included the building of the Hagia Sophia. He died in 565 without an heir, succeeded by his nephew Justin II.
Justinian I (482-565), also known as Justinian the Great or Saint Justinian the Great, was the nephew of Emperor Justin I, originally born from a peasant family in Tauresium. Justin, before he became emperor, adopted Justinian and raised him in Constantinople. Justinian served in the Imperial Guard, the Excubitors, just as his uncle had, and was made associate emperor in 527 before becoming sole emperor when Justin died in the same year.<br/><br/> Justinian was ambitious and clever, and sought to revive the empire's greatness, planning the reconquest of the western half of the Roman Empire in what was known as 'renovatio imperii' (restoration of the Empire). Justinian was hard-working and known as 'the emperor who never sleeps'. He nearly lost his throne during the Nika riots, and nearly lost his life during the Justinian Plague of the early 540s.<br/><br/> Justinian was a devout Christian and theologian, and his partial recovery of lost Roman territories led him to be called by some as one of the 'last Romans'. His uniform rewriting of Roman law, the 'Corpus Juris Civilis' is perhaps his greatest legacy, which is still used as the basis of civil law in many modern nations. His restoration activities included the building of the Hagia Sophia. He died in 565 without an heir, succeeded by his nephew Justin II.
Justinian I (482-565), also known as Justinian the Great or Saint Justinian the Great, was the nephew of Emperor Justin I, originally born from a peasant family in Tauresium. Justin, before he became emperor, adopted Justinian and raised him in Constantinople. Justinian served in the Imperial Guard, the Excubitors, just as his uncle had, and was made associate emperor in 527 before becoming sole emperor when Justin died in the same year.<br/><br/> Justinian was ambitious and clever, and sought to revive the empire's greatness, planning the reconquest of the western half of the Roman Empire in what was known as 'renovatio imperii' (restoration of the Empire). Justinian was hard-working and known as 'the emperor who never sleeps'. He nearly lost his throne during the Nika riots, and nearly lost his life during the Justinian Plague of the early 540s.<br/><br/> Justinian was a devout Christian and theologian, and his partial recovery of lost Roman territories led him to be called by some as one of the 'last Romans'. His uniform rewriting of Roman law, the 'Corpus Juris Civilis' is perhaps his greatest legacy, which is still used as the basis of civil law in many modern nations. His restoration activities included the building of the Hagia Sophia. He died in 565 without an heir, succeeded by his nephew Justin II.
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia (Greek) or Ayasofya (Turkish) was originally constructed as a main Eastern Orthodox church and served in this role from 537 CE until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 (except between 1204 and 1261 when it was converted by the Fourth Crusaders to a Roman Catholic cathedral).<br/><br/> When the Ottoman Turks under Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and Christian relics and art were either removed or plastered over. It remained a mosque for almost 500 years, before being converted into a museum between 1931 and 1935.<br/><br/> Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and influenced the design of numerous mosques in what is now Istanbul.
Justinian I (c. 482 – 14 November 565), traditionally known as Justinian the Great and also Saint Justinian the Great in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was Byzantine (Eastern Roman) emperor from 527 to 565.<br/><br/> During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the historical Roman Empire. His rule constitutes a distinct epoch in the history of the Later Roman empire, and his reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized restoration of the empire.
Justinian I (Latin: Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus Augustus, Greek: Φλάβιος Πέτρος Σαββάτιος Ἰουστινιανός, c. 482 – 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.<br/><br/> Tyrian purple (Greek, πορφύρα, porphyra, Latin: purpura), also known as royal purple, imperial purple or imperial dye, is a purple-red natural dye, which is a secretion produced by certain species of predatory sea snails in the family Muricidae, a type of rock snail by the name Murex. This dye was probably first used by the ancient Phoenicians. The dye was greatly prized in antiquity because the color did not easily fade, but instead became brighter with weathering and sunlight.<br/><br/> Tyrian purple was expensive: the 4th-century-BC historian Theopompus reported, 'Purple for dyes fetched its weight in silver at Colophon' in Asia Minor. The expense meant that purple-dyed textiles became status symbols, and early sumptuary laws restricted their uses. The production of Tyrian purple was tightly controlled in Byzantium and was subsidized by the imperial court, which restricted its use for the colouring of imperial silks, so that a child born to a reigning emperor was styled 'porphyrogenitos' or 'born in the purple'.