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History Extra podcast

Justinian: life of the week

Jul 8, 2024
Historian Peter Sarris discusses the conniving and ruthless Emperor Justinian, his rise to power, surviving riots and plots in Constantinople, his significant legal reforms, military strategies, challenges faced like the Bubonic Plague, and his lasting legacy on Roman law and society.
57:38

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • Justinian's rule focused on rebuilding the Eastern Roman Empire through religious and legislative reforms.
  • Justinian's rise to power involved strategic alliances, disputed successions, and calculated eliminations of rivals.

Deep dives

Justinian's Transformation of the Eastern Roman Empire

Justinian's reign as Byzantine Emperor marked a pivotal moment where he attempted to reunite the Eastern and Western Mediterranean regions. His rule heralded attempts to revive the East Roman Empire by reclaiming lost territories and fully Christianizing Roman society. Despite facing criticism for potential overexpansion, external factors like migratory pressures, climate disruptions, and pandemics were more responsible for the later crisis in the Roman world.

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