Justinian and Theodora - Research Paper Example

? A Portrait of an Imperial Couple: Justinian and Theodora Here The objective of this paper is to present an accurate, brief, and clear account of the reign of Justinian and Theodora. The last Roman emperor was overthrown in AD 476, and Western Europe was hauled into a muddled and usually disordered period. In contrast, a flourishing empire emerged in Eastern Europe, and Justinian acceded to power in Constantinople in 527.i The Byzantine Empire kept on developing in the East, far outdoing the tragic remains of the Western Empire. Ruling over a quite organized and serene domain, Justinian and his wife, Theodora, were given the opportunity to play a remarkable role in the majestic progress of world history. Justinian, the Byzantine Emperor Flavius Anicius Justinianus or more widely known as Justinian I was born of a Slavonic peasant parents at Tauresium in Illyria, perhaps on the 11th of May, 483.ii Justinian received his formal education at Constantinople. He was excellently educated Roman history, theology, and jurisprudence. His career in the military showed quick progress, and a grand prospect presented itself to him when he became emperor in 518.iii Generally regarded as one of the major emperors of Late Antiquity, Justinian is widely known for his amendment of the law through the Tribonian commission, and the military growth of imperial empire that was accomplished throughout his rule, mainly through Belisarius’s—Byzantine Empire’s general-- actions.iv Aside from law, religion supported Justinian’s attempt to consolidate the administrative center of the imperial domain. Ever since the 5th century Constantinople’s patriarch had brought emperors to the throne of Constantinople, a tradition which showed the close bond between religious and secular rulers. Christianity had been declared Eastern Empire’s official religion in 380.v All other denominations and faiths were condemned as wild and crazy. Yet, Orthodox Christianity was not the sole religion in the domain with a large population of adherents. Nor did the leaders see religion as a mere political instrument. The Christian dissents of Iconoclasm (the effort to eradicate the use of images and icons in church activities), Monophysitism (Christ has a single essence—a combined human and divine one), and Arianism (the conviction that Christ was not of one essence with the Lord) also gained imperial approval for a certain period of time.vi The religious guidelines of Justinian manifested the imperial belief that the unity and strength of the empire was absolutely tantamount to unity of faith. People of a deviant faith had to understand that the measures which imperial policymaking had initiated since Constantius II would actively carry on. Current sources reveal harsh persecutions, even those of high political standing.vii Possibly the most striking occurrence took place in 529 when Plato’s teaching Academy was subjected to the authority of the state by the directive of Justinian, successfully choking this education institution for Hellenism. At the initial phase of his rule, Justinian, a follower of Chalcedonian Christianity, thought it appropriate to disseminate by edict his belief in the Incarnation and the Trinity; and to terrorize all dissenters with the punishments; while he afterward proclaimed that he aimed to deny all opponents of orthodoxy of the chance to such violation by legal due process.viii Earlier scholars had viewed Justinian a despotic, but our point of view has transformed. Justinian and Theodora are now understood within their own perspective. Late Antiquity was not a time of unavoidable collapse, and what was most astonishing about the Roman empire of Eastern Europe and its succeeding state was their capacity to endure a chain of seemingly insurmountable problems while a series of migrations from the developing countries of Asia drove against the imperial borders. Within the imperial borders as well, the period of Justinian witnessed earthquakes, pestilence and vision that the world was coming to an end.ix Defenselessly the empire transformed. However, the transformation and collapse are quite distinct issues. Hence, maybe the time is right to try a reevaluation. Justinian belonged to a Thracian peasant familyx: a ‘rags to riches’ in a civilization which was especially mindful of background and status since it permitted much social mobility. Theodora, his wife, was an entertainer, and entertainers in modern-day Constantinople had the standing of sex workers, justifiably. The couple made an excellent team, and Theodora’s influence continued even after her death. Theodora, the Byzantine Empress Theodora, aside from being the wife of emperor Justinian, is regarded as one of the icons of the history of the Byzantine civilization. Certainly, the stories narrated by Procopius of Theodora’s deeds within and outside the hippodrome before her marriage belittle tales of more contemporary royal disgraces. Yet, more astonishing than the fact the contemporary likings for lustful rumors strongly resemble those of the previous eras is the understanding that the stories of Procopius was not wholly unfounded. Theodora was born in 497 and had been an entertainer/actress, alongside all the overtones of lewd depravity and erotic amusement which entertainment meant. A decree had to be specifically implemented to allow her to marry an individual of high political position, and she had had a bastard child before her marriage.xi But Theodora emerged victorious against all difficulties and barriers: ‘she became empress; advantageously married her family off with regard to their rank and wealth; possessed great sway in matters of state through her influence over her husband; and, like many a repentant prostitute, became a pillar of the faith, albeit of a heretic branch.’xii Even though a 12th-century monophysite historian, Michael the Syrian, recounts critically that Theodora was the child of a pastor and lived morally and decently until her marital union with Justinian, Procopius is not exactly inaccurate.xiii As the legal consultant and secretary to Belisarius and afterward a senator, Procopius was in the perfect position to be able to document Theodora’s actions and affairs and those of her companion Antonina, wife of Belisarius. Although the more excessive facts of the stories of Theodora’s and Antonina’s immoralities would have been accepted by the public, as rhetorical thrives in the negative stereotype of immoral women, the details behind the narrative of Procopius are verified by irrefutable proofs elsewhere. xiv Bishop John of Ephesos, a monophysite and a Syrian church chronicler, and a follower of Theodora, characterizes her as ‘from the brothel.’xv During that time, actresses were regarded open sexual mate and the occupation of actress would definitely have included both selling of sexual services and lewd presentations on stage. Theodora had made a living being an actress. Meanwhile, Theodora permanently embraced monophysite Christianity, and Justinian stayed an orthodox Christian. A number of scholars, including Procopius, claim that their dissimilarities were more a charade than a truth, most probably to control the power of the church.xvi She was recognized as a defender of constituents of the Monophysite group when they were charged of heretical activities. She backed up the composed Monophysite Severus and, when he was dismissed and banished, with the consent of Justinian, Theodora aided him in Egypt. She at times openly opposed Justinian’s approval of Chalcedonian Christianity in the unending fight for the dominance of each group, particularly at the peripheries of the empire.xvii The Reign of Justinian and Theodora Empress Theodora exerted considerable influence on Justinian and on the functioning of the state. Aside from giving motivation and support to her husband, Theodora participated in policymaking and managed diplomatic tasks usually assigned to the emperor. She is well-known for encouraging Justinian to be steadfast during the Nika riot, which he performed effectively. She is also popular for supporting laws involving the rights of women in prostitution, custody, inheritance, and divorce; particularly, she made sure that rigid laws were implemented discouraging abuse in young girls.xviii She struggled to abolish rulings against the monophysites, triumphantly stopping their persecution, although never persuading her husband to reform the official ruling that supported Chalcedonian Christianity.xix It is absolutely difficult to measure what accomplishments of Justinian’s regime are indebted to the empress because the two collaborated strongly, and after the empress’s demise the emperor displayed a significant dwindling in activity. The Nika Revolt which took place in Constantinople on January 532 was a flare-up of street riots which violated the standards even in a civilization where much of street riots were tolerated. All major cities had its chariot-racing groups which carried their insignias from their group colors: Greens, Blues, Whites, and Reds.xx These were certified and skilled groups originally assigned to field chariot-racing squads in the hippodromes, but during the reign of Justinian they were assigned to other events too. The Greens and Blues were prevailing, but the Whites and Reds gained some advocacy: emperor Anastasius was a Red follower.xxi Justinian and Theodora were followers of the Blues, and when street riots exploded during the reign of Justin I, Procopius reveals that they inflamed it.xxii However, because Justinian acceded to the throne he had assumed a more rigid, more neutral judgment. But when the hostilities became out of hand, Justinian decided to run away and possibly would have done so if not for Theodora, who refused to be overpowered by fear. Geoffrey Greatrex’s recent study of the Nika revolt has emphasized that what was unusual about it was not the mob’s behavior so much as the efforts of Justinian to handle it. His initial response was to pacify: when the mob insisted that several of his ministers should leave, Justinian sacked them without further ado.xxiii He wavered when he should have been resolute and worsens the crisis. It might have been Theodora who heartened him for the ultimate act of subjugation. The Nika revolt heightened Justinian’s power. The mob was intimidated and the political resistance that arose during the crisis was pushed in hiding.xxiv The destruction to Constantinople was massive, but it facilitated the own building project of Justinian. By Theodora’s composed behavior and remarkable vivacity she possibly saved Justinian’s empire from additional turmoil. Thus, some claim that Justinian mourned terribly after the death of her empress. He felt some kind of happiness when someone in the audience uttered Theodora’s name. The determination of Justinian in fulfilling the wishes of his wife had its impact within and outside the city. A law stopped the Samaritans’ persecution; Jacob Old Clothes continued his tasks without obstacle from the representatives of the Emperor. Monophysite priests went back to their churches in Antioch and Alexandria.xxv In the end all the Eastern churches were granted freedom to perform their ancient practices. People who speculated in Constantinople whether the empress’s ideas had not contradicted Justinian’s plans now realized that the couple had been performing the same mission in distinct ways. At the moment Justinian was dispossessed of Theodora’s optimism and unbreakable fortitude; for decades, Justinian made his decisions all by himself. There was an immediate change in personal ties around the imperial office, when the command of Theodora had been eliminated. Antonina schemed to invalidate the marriage of her daughter Joannina to Anastasius. The Persarmenian aristocrat, Artabanes, forsook his aged wife as disgusting to him, but the moody leader could not get Praejecta anymore, who was already married to the Excubitors’ count, Marcellus.xxvi Germanus performed the wedding with Matasuntha, tying the Arnal lineage to his own ancestral roots, with a hope that a successor could be born to both the Constantinople’s throne and Italy’s Kingdom.xxvii Quite certainly, as individual desires burst, there was a plan to assassinate Justinian. The undercover agents of Theodora no longer guarded the hallways, and he walked at night without protection. The plan originated from shrewd Persarmenian intellectuals, and it hinged on disgruntlements. A man named Arsaces, who had been charged of sedition and got away with mild reprimand from Justinian, brought together comrades to speak in confidence in Artabanes: How they might easily kill a man who sits without guards every night in some corridor, eagerly unrolling the Christian Scriptures in company with priests as aged as he. With Justinian dead, they would have need of a protector, to gain reward, and such they had at hand in Germanus, who nursed ill-will against the Autocrat because Justinian had taken the part of a niece against Germanus in a matter of inheritance. Surely, then, Germanus would be given the imperial purple, and they would have their reward!xxviii But Artabanes was not persuaded. He belonged to one of the numerous Asiatics who sacrificed family bonds to work for the Empire, desirous of honors, reputation, and respect; he would not inform Germanus of the plan, yet he allowed seeking to persuade Justin, the great leader’s eldest son, and he reiterated to his father how the noble Persians had enlightened him that as he worked for Justinian for petty recognition, the Emperor rewarded the masses.xxix Germanus immediately consulted a trusted officer, Marcellus. But the unshakable honesty and decency of the Excubitors’ count failed him, because Marcellus refused to inform the Emperor of a plot which had not been substantiated. Germanus was not able to find proofs easily, for Artabanes shied away as he observed events.xxx Nevertheless, several of the Persarmenians were encouraged to confide within earshot of an official connected to Marcellus, and accidentally they advised that the assassination should be postponed until Belisarius went back to Constantinople. If Belisarius was not killed along with Justinian, he could assemble an armed force to stop the plot and all related to it.xxxi Marcellus accepted the proof. When he met the Emperor, he narrated straightforwardly the information he receivedxxxii: “Germanus should have told me himself,” Justinian retorted. “Why did he delay to do so?” “He wished me to tell Your Clemency.” Threatened by the accusation, Justinian carried out his practice of having the charge documented for verdict or resolution. When he released an order for the arrest of the plotters, all, excluding Artabanes, accused Germanus to save their selves. Despairingly the Emperor examined their proofs in front of frightened senators and hushed officials. Germanus was found guilty.xxxiii If Theodora was still alive by then, would Justinian decision be the same? Most probably, yes. In conclusion, Justinian and Theodora were widely recognized for ruling as political and rational counterparts, and the latter was the pioneer of many of the reforms within and outside the Byzantine Empire. Both Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora are depicted in stunning mosaics in the Basilica of San Vitale at Ravenna in Italy, which was constructed prior to the Empress’s death. Conclusions No analysis of the reign of Emperor Justinian would be whole without detailed or thorough remarks on the laws’ codification and on Justinian’s ties to his infamous wife. The paper tries to be objective or neutral as much as possible when talking about Theodora; and the author exerts the best effort to examine the details and accession to the throne of this remarkable woman. Theodora was not only an empress; she was genuinely and wholeheartedly Justinian’s equal and inspiration. It is also apparent that the Empress responded to her own history as an entertainer, helping relatives, family members, and old friends and edicts that determined the interactions of the different classes. The commitment of Theodora to religion, even though largely opposed to the beliefs of Justinian, was complicated, but did lead to the defense and ultimate growth of the Monophysite Church. Notes Read More