The Reign of Justinian I
Emperor Justinian I was known for being one of the greatest emperors who reined during the Byzantine Empire. (Ancient and Medieval Eras 2012)
When Justinian faced the Nika revolt in 532, it broke out and had the arrest of leaders of two rival groups in Constantinople. The emperor was close to escaping the city with members of the imperial court, because the rebellion was that severe. Although, his wife, Theodora, gave her husband an inspiring speech to stay. Then he commanded for a stop of troops to enter the city and put and end on the revolt. According to studies, the troops killed about 30,000 people at the Hippodrome, at the arena where the rebels were. (Frassetto)
Justinian's two main consequences of the left were to reform and codification of Roman law and rebuild the city of Constantinople. One of the important needs the emperor faced was the rebuilding of the city after the destruction that was caused by the rebellion. With many building projects Justinian faced, he built a great new church called, Hagia Sophia. It became the imperial church, head of all Christian churches in the empire. It was also used for storage for late imperial art and for close association between politics and religious belief in the empire. (Frassetto)
When Justinian faced the Nika revolt in 532, it broke out and had the arrest of leaders of two rival groups in Constantinople. The emperor was close to escaping the city with members of the imperial court, because the rebellion was that severe. Although, his wife, Theodora, gave her husband an inspiring speech to stay. Then he commanded for a stop of troops to enter the city and put and end on the revolt. According to studies, the troops killed about 30,000 people at the Hippodrome, at the arena where the rebels were. (Frassetto)
Justinian's two main consequences of the left were to reform and codification of Roman law and rebuild the city of Constantinople. One of the important needs the emperor faced was the rebuilding of the city after the destruction that was caused by the rebellion. With many building projects Justinian faced, he built a great new church called, Hagia Sophia. It became the imperial church, head of all Christian churches in the empire. It was also used for storage for late imperial art and for close association between politics and religious belief in the empire. (Frassetto)
Below is shown an image of Hagia Sophia.
Because Justinian was a excellent law giver, he was able to publish the codification of the law that is called Corpus Juris Civilis meaning, "Body of the Civil Law," he started in 529. The Corpus Juris Civilis was split into four main sections: the Codex Constituionum, meaning "Constitutional Code," the Digest, the Institutes, and the Novels. This codification was not to only organize the law, but to unite the empire the same way that Hagia Sophia was designed to do. (Frassetto)