-
 Eastern
Roman emperor
- Justinian I is famous for reuniting
the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire in the 6th century,
albeit temporarily, but more importantly he implemented one of the
greatest and enduring codifications of law in history.
In AD 527 Justinian succeeded his uncle Emperor Justin I to become
ruler of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, and dedicated himself
to restoring the boundaries of the old empire. With able generals,
such as Belisarius and Narses, and under the guidance of his powerful
and cunning wife, Theodora, Justinian wrested North Africa from the
Vandals and Italy from the Goths, finally reuniting the eastern and
western empires. He also successfully negotiated a truce with Persia
in order to protect the eastern borders of the empire.
Within the vast empire, and over a span of ten years, he codified
and drastically reformed the entire legal system by introducing the
"Corpus Juris Civilis" (Body of Civil Law). The Justinian
Code, as it became known, served as the basis for much of European
law for many centuries.
|