Justinian
Justinian, full name Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus (483-565 AD). Byzantine emperor from 527, whose codification of Roman law has influenced all subsequent legal systems. His building achievements included the church of Hagia Sophia at Constantinople, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Justinian’s foreign policy was less successful, his wars against Persia proving indecisive. His wife was the empress Theodora, a former actress.
