Abstract This paper explains that Justinian the Great restored order amid political and religious passions, rebuilt the empire and guarded the frontiers, all remarkably well. The author describes the wars in which Justinian's military policy was a brilliant success and relates that Justinian restored power over much of the western empire and controlled the Mediterranean. The paper further states that, as a philosopher and theologian, compared with his attacks on Christian heretics, Justinian seemed mostly indifferent to the teaching of paganism. Additionally, the paper reports the process by which Justinian organized the sources of Roman law into the Code of Justinian. The author of the paper concludes that Justinian, by surrounding himself with able assistants, brought back the grandeur of past emperors but could not revive the Empire.
From the Paper "As a builder of public works, Justinian made lasting contributions to the monuments that mark the empire. His official historian, Procopius, spent eight books describing the many works he tirelessly carried on throughout the empire. His most celebrated, the Saint Sophia, still stands as a monument to his efforts. Justinian boasted that it surpassed Solomon's temple. Saint Vitalis's at Ravenna was comparable, filled with precious metals, marbles, and mosaics, monuments to the emperor's ostentatious piety. Pilgrims and mendicants probably appreciated more the inns, hospitals, and convents that made travel to the shrines safer and much more comfortable."
