During Rule Of Emperor Justinian Of The Eastern Roman Empire,

During rule of Emperor Justinian of the Eastern Roman Empire, a cycle of recurring plagues started in the year 541 A.D. This plague cycle would disappear and reappear in roughly eleven year cycles. The last strike of this plague cycle was in 747 in Naples. This series of plagues were called the Justinian plague named after Emperor Justinian’s rule and it is also referred to as the early medieval pandemic (EMP). The severity of this plague was high being that Procopius of Caesarea, a Urban Prefect of Constantinople stated that the plague â€Å"fell upon the whole world, yet just as many people escaped as had the misfortune to succumb- either because they escaped the infection altogether, or because they got over it if they happened to be†¦show more content†¦It may seem like an outlandish claim by Procopius to put the blame for plague on Justinian however he is not far from the truth. Justinian was not a demon in human form however his expansionism did opened a large area of the Empire and increased internal travel distance allowing for the plague to spread throughout the Mediterranean. Justinian’s rule before the plague was stable however during the plague the stability of his rule plummeted. As stated before, during the plague Justinian drew blame from his people because of the devastation. However the plague â€Å"reduced population drastically, those on arable areas by one-half in fifty years and those in dry areas by a lesser amount. It created a great depression, forced readjustment of population, altered relations among parts of the Empire, and created conditions which were sensitive to accidents.† The loss of life combined with a economic depression greatly lowered the stability of the Empire however they were not the only factors that affect the stability of the realm. To protect the economy Justinian order an edict that froze prices and wages pre plague levels however â€Å"As with all such wage and price freezes, Justinian’s edict served mostly to exaggerate the problems they were intended to solve. Shortages of fuel, food and most relevantly for an empire now fighting a two-front war- theShow MoreRelated Architect of the Byzantine Legacy Essay examples3947 Words   |  16 PagesArchitect of the Byzantine Legacy Byzantine Emperor Justinian was the bold architect of a revitalized Byzantine Empire that would leave a lasting legacy for Western Civilization. As much of Europe entered the Dark Ages, Justinians vision of a restored Roman Empire would reverse the decline of the Byzantine Empire and lay a firm foundation that would allow the Byzantine Empire to survive for centuries to come. Justinian, whose full name was Flavius Anicius Julianus Justinianus, was born aroundRead More Justinian I Essay1453 Words   |  6 Pages Justinian I Justinian had a very significant role in world history. There are many things that are overlooked when speaking of Justinian. For instance, Justinian was a great architect. Many times we overlook the little characteristics of Justinian and we focus on the code of Justinian. Justinian was born a barbarian, probably born of Slavic parents in Illyia. We know nothing of his early years except that his uncle adopted him. His uncle was Justin I, the emperor of Constantinople. Then in 527Read MoreThe Downfall Of The Roman Empire1323 Words   |  6 Pages After the major downfall of the Roman Empire, much of the world that was once united by trade and wealth would now experience a time of constant war and plague. Much of the attacks and decay, had greatly influence many people form of thinking, bringing up their insecurity index and uncertainty of what is to come. Religion has offered many people with new hope, in which if they abide by what god has told them to do, they will have a chance in the afterlife. With an array of new leaderships/chiefdomsRead MoreEmperor Justinian: Architect of the Byzantine Legacy4179 Words   |  17 Pageshttp://cappsfamily.hypermart.net/justinian.htm Byzantine Emperor Justinian was the bold architect of a revitalized Byzantine Empire that would leave a lasting legacy for Western Civilization. As much of Europe entered the Dark Ages, Justinian s vision of a restored Roman Empire would reverse the decline of the Byzantine Empire and lay a firm foundation that would allow the Byzantine Empire to survive for centuries to come. Justinian, whose full name was Flavius Anicius Julianus JustinianusRead MoreJustinian And The Roman Empire1477 Words   |  6 PagesByzantine Empire, though often forgotten among better-known empires, such as the Roman Empire, ran for nearly one thousand years, occupying the eastern half of what once was the Roman Empire. It engaged in trade, expansion, and decades of warfare. It also gave women a better status then men, valued and preserved Greek history, and eventually fell to the Ottomans. During the year 535, Justinian overthrew the Ostrogothic Kingdom, which had occupied Italy after the split and decline of the Roman EmpireRead MoreOrigins Of The Byzantine Empire2033 Words   |  9 PagesByzantine Empire (330-1453 CE) The Byzantine Empire is another word for the eastern half of the Roman Empire. It was born after a series of events that led to the fall of the western half of the Roman Empire. In 285 A.D., Diocletian decided to split the Roman Empire in half because the rapidly growing population was becoming too large to govern for a single person. This decision is considered to be one of the main acts that led to the downfall of the Western Roman world. The Byzantine Empire began toRead MoreEssay History of Propaganda in Art861 Words   |  4 Pagesfor propagandistic reasons as well. This can be seen through a survey of art pieces ranging from the Hellenistic period to the Ottonian period. At the beginning of the Hellenistic period Alexander the Great had just passed away, leaving his vast empire fragmented amongst many individual leaders. Many of the Greeks left the Balkan Peninsula to seek commission abroad, thus forsaking their identity and ties to the old Greek city states. The result was a greater focus on the individual, a psychologicalRead MoreI INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The impact of the dark ages had a1000 Words   |  4 Pagesconflicts. Since there were no taxes it left no one to defend against this tyranny. The during this time the plague was breaking out in Constantinople as well. The fall of Rome was from constant conflict with barbarians, this during the migration period various groups of people moved across Europe . Byzantium was flourishing in the Eastern Roman Empire even through the Dark Ages. Depopulation, Deurbanisation, invasion, and movement of peopleRead MoreClassical Civilizations And Ancient Civilizations1870 Words   |  8 Pagescivilizations include those such as Zhou and Han China, the Gupta Empire in India, and the Mediterranean civilizations of Greece and Rome. 6th C BCE: The Lives of Buddha, Confucius, Laozi (The beginnings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) 500 BCE - 300 BCE: Greek Golden Age This â€Å"golden age† began after the Greek victory over Persia during the Persian War (546 – 479 BCE) and came to a decline after the Peloponnesian War (431 – 404 BCE). During this time period, the Grecian states were well renownedRead MoreRoman Law During The Enlightenment Era2453 Words   |  10 Pages Roman Law Justice has been misperceived to go hand and hand with rules in which a society must conform to, mostly in due part to the enlightenment era. In the case with the Romans, the laws they established, especially early on, dealing with the spread of Christianity has been interpreted with a sense of disgust for the unfair treatment targeted towards Christians, and later on to those of other faiths. However, I argue that, Roman law, when concerning religion, was used to strengthen the identity