Why might Justinian be consider a successful emperor?

Answer 1

The reign of Justinian I (or the Great) is seen as a distinct period of Byzantine history by historians. It was a period of conquest, splendour, great prosperity and important public works, administrative and religious reforms and imperial unity. Byzantine Empire is a term which has been coined by historians to indicate the eastern part of the Roman Empire after the fall of the western part. The western part fell under the weight of the invasions by the Germanic peoples who took over all of its lands except for Italy. The eastern part was not affected by these invasions and continued to exist for another 1,000 years.

Justinian I wanted to 'restore' the Roman Empire by reconquering the lands lost by the western part of the Roman Empire as a result of the Germanic invasions. He succeeded in defeating the Vandals in Africa, retaking this area, the Ostrogoths, retaking Italy, Sicily and Dalmatia (on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea) and the Visigoths in Spain, retaking southern Spain. This was a major achievement and gave him control of the western Mediterranean. The large state revenues the conquests generated (they increased by 20%) helped him with an ambitious programme of church building and public works. He rebuilt the damaged Church of the Holy Apostles and the Hagia Sophia church in Constantinople, which were both badly damaged, and built the church of San Vitale in Ravenna (the centre of Byzantine rule in Italy). He built underground cisterns to secure the water supply for Constantinople, including the massive Basilica Cistern (453 by 212 feet and 30 ft. high). He built a dam is southwestern Turkey to prevent floods and the Sangiarius bridge in northwestern Turkey to secure a supply route to the east for the army. He built border fortifications from Africa to the East. Justinian restored towns damaged by an earthquake and built a new city, Justiniana Prima, as the new capital of the province of Illyria. He built a massive granary on an island near Constantinople to make the grain traffic form Egypt more efficient. He also established diplomatic relations with Ethiopia to bypass the land Silk Road through Persia because there were wars with Persia and managed to establish a local production of silk.

Justinian I took measures to tackle corruption in the provinces and made tax collection more efficient by increasing its professionalization. He protected the purity of the official church and persecuted dissident Christian sects and paganism. He secured the rights of the church and the clergy and protected and expanded the monastic orders. He granted the monks the right to inherit property from private individuals and to receive annual gifts for the state and banned the confiscation of monastic property. He gave the canons of the church legal force and issued laws regarding the administration of church property, the elections, rights and obligations of the clergy, the conduct of service and episcopal jurisdiction. Justinian I was one of the most important emperors in the history of the Orthodox Church. He described as a 'nursing father' of the church. He put it on a more solid footing, and redefined its structure. Justinian's rule was quite despotic. He regulated everything in administration, law and religion tightly. It was said that the church could do nothing contrary to his will.

Justinian I's most enduring legacy was his commissioning of the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil law) which was later dubbed the Justinian Code. This was a digest of centuries of Roman civil law, collected them in a single book (previously they had been kept in scrolls) and gave a uniform organisation this law, scrapped obsolete enactments and redefined obscure passages. It also included a collection of essays by famous jurists and a student textbook. The Corpus Juiris Civilis has provided the basis of the civil law of many modern countries.

Answer 2

The reign of Justinian I (or the Great) is seen as a distinct period of Byzantine history by historians. It was a period of conquest, splendour, great prosperity and important public works, administrative and religious reforms and imperial unity. Byzantine Empire is a term which has been coined by historians to indicate the eastern part of the Roman Empire after the fall of the western part. The western part fell under the weight of the invasions by the Germanic peoples who took over all of its lands except for Italy. The eastern part was not affected by these invasions and continued to exist for another 1,000 years.

Justinian I wanted to 'restore' the Roman Empire by reconquering the lands lost by the western part of the Roman Empire as a result of the Germanic invasions. He succeeded in defeating the Vandals in Africa, retaking this area, the Ostrogoths, retaking Italy, Sicily and Dalmatia (on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea) and the Visigoths in Spain, retaking southern Spain. This was a major achievement and gave him control of the western Mediterranean. The large state revenues the conquests generated (they increased by 20%) helped him with an ambitious programme of church building and public works. He rebuilt the damaged Church of the Holy Apostles and the Hagia Sophia church in Constantinople, which were both badly damaged, and built the church of San Vitale in Ravenna (the centre of Byzantine rule in Italy). He built underground cisterns to secure the water supply for Constantinople, including the massive Basilica Cistern (453 by 212 feet and 30 ft. high). He built a dam is southwestern Turkey to prevent floods and the Sangiarius bridge in northwestern Turkey to secure a supply route to the east for the army. He built border fortifications from Africa to the East. Justinian restored towns damaged by an earthquake and built a new city, Justiniana Prima, as the new capital of the province of Illyria. He built a massive granary on an island near Constantinople to make the grain traffic form Egypt more efficient. He also established diplomatic relations with Ethiopia to bypass the land Silk Road through Persia because there were wars with Persia and managed to establish a local production of silk.

Justinian I took measures to tackle corruption in the provinces and made tax collection more efficient by increasing its professionalization. He protected the purity of the official church and persecuted dissident Christian sects and paganism. He secured the rights of the church and the clergy and protected and expanded the monastic orders. He granted the monks the right to inherit property from private individuals and to receive annual gifts for the state and banned the confiscation of monastic property. He gave the canons of the church legal force and issued laws regarding the administration of church property, the elections, rights and obligations of the clergy, the conduct of service and episcopal jurisdiction. Justinian I was one of the most important emperors in the history of the Orthodox Church. He described as a 'nursing father' of the church. He put it on a more solid footing, and redefined its structure. Justinian's rule was quite despotic. He regulated everything in administration, law and religion tightly. It was said that the church could do nothing contrary to his will.

Justinian I's most enduring legacy was his commissioning of the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil law) which was later dubbed the Justinian Code. This was a digest of centuries of Roman civil law, collected them in a single book (previously they had been kept in scrolls) and gave a uniform organisation this law, scrapped obsolete enactments and redefined obscure passages. It also included a collection of essays by famous jurists and a student textbook. The Corpus Juiris Civilis has provided the basis of the civil law of many modern countries.

Answer 3

I don't think it's just you know good