Justinian I

Justinian was born to a peasant family in the Balkans and rose through the help of his uncle Justin, a soldier who became emperor. Justinian succeeded him in 527 and ruled the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire from Constantinople for thirty-eight years, with his wife Theodora, a former actress, as a strong partner. In 532 riots called the Nika revolt nearly drove him from the city; Theodora is said to have persuaded him to stay, and the army crushed the rioters. He then rebuilt the great church of Hagia Sophia, whose huge dome still stands. His commission of lawyers, led by Tribonian, gathered centuries of Roman law into the Corpus Juris Civilis, which later shaped the law of much of Europe. His generals, especially Belisarius, won back North Africa, Italy and part of Spain, though the long wars and a terrible plague in 541 strained the empire. The historian Procopius praised him in public works and attacked him in his Secret History. He died in 565.

Justinian I is also an author in the library: author page and works.

Faith: Byzantine emperor and devoted Chalcedonian (Orthodox) Christian who took an active part in theological debates. Source: Wikipedia