Story Highlights
- historical event: Justinian was able to send troops from the East, which reconquered a good part of the former Western Roman Empire. Thus, the city of Rome again became a part of the Empire. In Constantinople, Justinian built a magnificent church – Hagia Sophia – which held the title of the largest church in the world for centuries.
On this day in 565 the last truly powerful emperor who ruled the Roman Empire died. His name was Justinian, and he was renowned for being the man to restore the power of the Empire, retaking Rome, Italy and even North Africa and the area of present-day southern Spain.
Justinian was, by legacy, actually emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, i.e. Byzantium. Of course, the Western Roman Empire collapsed even before his birth and was replaced with “barbarian” states in Italy, Gaul and Spain. However, Justinian was able to send troops from the East, which reconquered a good part of the former Western Roman Empire. Thus, the city of Rome again became part of the Empire, although Ravenna was actually the administrative center of Italy in Justinian’s era.
Justinian also restored the economic power of the Empire. For example, revenues increased to that extent that they allegedly reached the amount of about 6,000,000 solids per year. In Constantinople, Justinian built a magnificent church – Hagia Sophia – which held the title of the largest church in the world for centuries.
