Justinian the Great?

[Brandy Blue]

I don't know much Byzantine history, but I would like to know if people think Justinian deserves to be remembered as "Great." My limited knowledge suggests maybe not. True his generals achieved limited reconquest of the Western Empire, but Justinian did not give his sucessful generals a chance to do their best (understandably, considering the possibility of a coup). The territorial gains did not last, and at Justinian's death the treasury was pretty empty and the armed forces overstretched. Sounds like his military policy was short sighted and actually harmed the empire, or am I wrong?

Of course Justinian was a famous codifier of laws, and that was an important contribution. But if I'm not mistaken he wasn't a great law giver, just a great collector and systematizer of laws other people had made. Must have been a huge job but still . . . does shuffling around other peoples' ideas count as great?

I don't need to go into his cowardice in the face of the Nike plot do I? However, it says something about his tax policies that he provoked a rebellion in the heart of his empire when he himself was present at the capital. Full points to Narses for sheer guts. Walked right into a hippodrome full of rebels with a big bag of gold, reminded some of the rebel leaders of where their loyalty should lie, and bought them off. By contrast, Justinian's wife had to had to shame him into staying around, and even then he let others do all the work.

So is Justinian overrated?

[Strike For The South]

The man may be the head, but the woman is the neck and the neck can move the head anyway it wants

[Skullheadhq]

The conquest of Africa lasted up till the damned caliphate of evil took over in the late 7th/early 8th century. Italy only declared indepencence around 750 because of the Iconoclastic politics of the Isaurian dynasty and even then some parts of Italy remained, Basil II even expanded the Italian domains. The last Italian provinces were only lost to Robert Guiscard in the 1050's, and ~500 years is pretty lasting me think. And no, the Nika riots were not bought of, 30000 rioters were slain in the Hippodrome.

If I say that Justinian the Great was almost worshipped by law scholars up till the early 20th century, doesn't that mean he somehow deserved it.

And how you look at it, he was the best Roman emperor since Constantine I.

[Brandy Blue]

And no, the Nika riots were not bought of, 30000 rioters were slain in the Hippodrome.

I believe those would be the ones who were not bought off. Some were, some were not.

The really valuable part of Africa (Egypt) was the part that Justinian did not have to reconquer, as it had not yet been lost. Was the rest of it worth the price?

I don't remember about Italy and don't have time to research ... but even from what you say it looks like it might cut both ways. About 500 years is a long time, but was that 500 years of peace and prosperity or 500 years of war and financial drain trying to hold onto territory that cost more than it was worth? I'm not really sure.

[Aper]

I don't remember about Italy and don't have time to research ... but even from what you say it looks like it might cut both ways. About 500 years is a long time, but was that 500 years of peace and prosperity or 500 years of war and financial drain trying to hold onto territory that cost more than it was worth? I'm not really sure.

You got it.