Justinian

1
Justinians Reign and the reconquest of Rome
527-565
Dont do drugs!
Stay in school!
2

• Upon taking power in 527, Justinian can be seen
  in several sections
• Legal works
• Church promotion
• Military accomplishments

3

• Justinian had married Theodora, a former circus
  prostitute who was determined to make something
  of herself.

4
She had been the daughter of a bear trainer in
the Hippodrome (coliseum) of Constantinople.
Circuses, races, and other spectacles were held
there.
5

• Theodora was a supporter of the church, but was a
  monophysite. (belief that Jesus was 100 divine)

6

• Theodora married Justinian at age 20 and was a
  womens rights supporter. Some accomplishments
  1. Laws for women seeking divorce.
  2.Prohibited forced prostitution. 3.Allowed
  women to own and inherit property.
  4.Death penalty in cases of rape.

7

• She was revered by the common people during
  Justinians reign and long after her death. This
  image was found on the altar of
  a church.

8

• Justinian would never have been such a successful
  ruler without his wife, but he was significant in
  his own right.
• (Mosaic from Hagia Sophia)

9

• Legal accomplishments
• Reduced the bulky old codes into one easy to read
  codex.
• Created a book of legal precedents.
• Created a legal text for law students,
  standardizing legal training in the Empire.

10

• Justinian and the Church

11

• Justinian believed that the Church should serve
  the State (Erastianism). He was also a
  Monophysite. Cross of Justinian

12

• Justinian built the Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy
  Wisdom) in Constantinople which stands still
  today.

13

• It required new techniques that had never been
  used before. It was the largest dome of its kind.

14

• Justinian passed several laws against pagans,
  Samaritans, Jews, and Manicheans (said man has a
  good nature and an evil nature and
  can choose one or the other.)

15

• Justinian basically wanted a unified, mostly
  Monophysite Church that
  did what he (the State) asked of
  it.

16

• Justinians Wars of Conquest
• (subtitled Belisarius kicks butt!!)

17
Some of Justinians goals were to recapture and
reunite Rome with Constantinople and to defeat
the Persians in the East.
18
Around 533, Justinian sent his most trusted and
able General, Belisarius, to reconquer Northern
Africa.
19
Much of Belisarius success came from his tactics
and strategy. He was a very sneaky leader who
would use any methods to
win. Even this...
20
The Byzantine Empire was still using the kontos
in warfare. It was an overhand thrusting spear
that was used before the stirrup was invented.
21
Belisarius sailed to North Africa with 500 ships.
He feigned an attack near Egypt and sailed on to
land farther along the coast.
22
The Vandal king Gelimer surrendered without a
fight after Belisarius placed his army between
the city and the Vandal army.
23

• The Byzantine (Roman) Empire once again included
  North Africa, Sardinia, and Corsica.

24

• Belisarius was then given only 5000 men with
  which to take Rome. Why so few?
• Justinian was jealous of Belisarius and wanted
  him to succeed cheaply or die trying.

25

• With so few men, he had to avoid a frontal
  assault or a pitched battle.

26
As Belisarius approached Rome, there were several
cities that had to fall first. He could leave
few enemies behind his army.
27

• Naples fell when Belisarius soldiers found a
  path through a destroyed aquaduct that
  led his troops into the city
  through the sewers to open
  the front gate.

28

• Almost all of the citizens of Naples were
  killed!! Why!?

29

• All other cities quickly opened their doors to
  Belisarius, thus avoiding further bloodshed.

30

• As the Byzantine force approached Ravenna, the
  Ostrogoth King, Theodatus, tried to flee, but was
  killed by his own people. The new Ostrogoth
  king, Vittigis, pulled out of Italy to get more
  troops.

31

• As Belisarius approached Rome, only one Ostrogoth
  soldier stayed to defend the city Leuderis.
  For such bravery, Belisarius sent Leuderis back
  to Constantinople with the keys to
  its gates.

32

• Rome had fallen into disrepair since the
  barbarians took over. Many walls were down and
  it would be hard to defend for the Byzantines.

33

• Lets get the numbers straight. Out of 5000 men,
  Belisarius had to leave 2000 on garrison duty to
  protect his supply lines and line of retreat.
  That leaves?
• But Vittigis was coming with 50,000 men!!

34
How much could they do?
35

• Since he couldnt defend the whole city, he chose
  to defend just one building Hadrians Tomb!

36

• It was apparent to Vittigis that Belisarius meant
  to withstand a siege, even though Roman support
  was fading.

37

• Belisarius wrote to Justinian that Rome was his,
  but would only remain that way if reinforcements
  arrived soon!

Im from the govt, Im here to help.
38

• The Goths set up camp across the Tiber River
  while Belisarius established some of his foreign
  mercenaries at the only bridge
  crossing the river.

39

• The small mercenary force panicked at the sight
  of 50,000 barbarians and joined them!
  Belisarius, meanwhile, took 1000 men on a recon
  mission, unaware that he no longer held
  the bridge!

Get them!
40

• The traitors identified Belisarius and urged the
  Goths to attack and end the siege now! In the
  following battle, Belisarius little force killed
  1000 Goths who then fled to the countryside.

He kicked my butt!
41

• Upon his return to Rome, Belisarius was locked
  out by Romans fearing that he was already dead.

Belisarius!
Who is it?
Belisarius who?
42

• He had no choice, he ordered a charge (again) and
  broke the Goths (again). The next time he
  returned, he had his men open
  the door.

Knock and it shall be opened.
43

• It took the Goths another 18 days to prepare the
  assault on Hadrians tomb. They built 4 siege
  towers.

44

• As the Goths moved the towers into place, the
  Byzantines began to panic. Belisarius personally
  killed two officers with a bow. His men said,
  But were not good enough to hit men at this
  distance.

45

• He then advised his men to shoot the oxen pulling
  the large towers. (The attack ended soon
  thereafter.)

46

• In the next attack, the Byzantines shot all of
  their arrows then dropped pieces of tomb statuary
  on the Goths.

47

• Belisarius had some men sallie from a different
  gate and attack the Goths from the rear, driving
  them off. The Goths admitted to
  losing 30,000 men.

48

• The siege dragged on so long that Pope Silverus
  tried to sell the city to the Goths. Belisarius
  had him sent into exile while he elected a new
  Pope.

49
After 1 year and 9 days, the Goths burned their
camps and marched away from Rome.
Are we advancing?
Shut up, Krognor!
50

• The Problem Vittigis offered to serve the
  Byzantine empire and its emperor Belisarius!
  Word of this got back to
  Constantinople

Justinian
Belisarius sucks!
51
Of course, Justinians paranoia was now justified
(?). He thought that Belisarius would jump at
the chance. He had a eunuch General named Narses
take over in Rome and had Belisarius
brought home in 541 AD.
52
Narses lost Rome to the Goths in 543. What a
surprise...
Dont let the door hit you on the way out!
Yeah!
53
So Justinian sent Belisarius to recapture Rome in
544, but only let him take 4000 men this
time. Kontos
54
Belisarius recaptured Rome, withstood another
siege in 546, and was then recalled to
Constantinople by a jealous Justinian in 549.
(What a goober!)