Justinian Accomplishments

There is a
saying, famous in the American
lexicon, that states "behind every great man was a great
woman." Historians
are in almost complete agreement that Justinian, the Byzantine Emporer
from
527-565 was a great man. His legal reforms allowed the Eastern Roman Empire to endure
for
nearly a thousand years after his death. However, any study of
Justinian's political, artistic,
and economic achievements need to be
examined through the lens of the great woman behind
him.

One of Justinian's greatest accomplishments is that he married well.
His
wife, the Empress Theodora was a savvy politician in her own right.
Justinian treated her as her
intellectual equal and they for all intents and
purposes, ruled the empire together. In fact,
Theodora can be credited with
saving the throne in 532 when a riot threatened to overthrow
Justinian. As
Justinian and his court were set to flee the city in exile when Theodora's

impassioned plea to fight was heard. The rebellion was easily put down and Justinian
remained
emperor.

As emperor, Justinian made great reforms
in the areas of law, urban
development, and conquest. His Justinian Code
curbed bureaucratic corruption in the empire for
centuries. Theodora was a
partner in these reforms and convinced Justinian to reform the roles
and
responsibilities of women in the empire. Theodora was responsible for establishing
royal
decorum in the court that further legitimized the authority and respect
of the crown. Justinian
himself would credit Theodora for her guidance and
leadership in these realms.

Justinian's initial attraction
to Theodora may have been physical, but it did not take
him very long for him
to respect her intelligence and political abilities. His willingness to

promote Theodora's talents and allow her to have a voice on his court should be
considered one
of his greatest accomplishments.

href="http://www.roman-emperors.org/dora.htm">http://www.roman-emperors.org/dora.htm