Editing Justin I (section)

== Emperor ==
Justin cemented his position by assassinating potential opponents, especially anti-Chalcedonian supporters of Anastasius. Both Amantius and Theocritus were executed nine days after the election.<ref name="Evans" /> Early in his reign, he also dismissed a number of officials that served emperor Anastasius, including [[Marinus (praetorian prefect)|Marinus]], the praetorian prefect.<ref>John Lydus, ''De Magistratibus'', 51</ref> 

In his time, Justin was viewed as an illiterate career soldier with little knowledge of statecraft.<ref>Procopius, ''Historia Arcana'', 6.11-12</ref><ref>John Malalas, ''Chronicle'', 17.1</ref><ref>John Lydus, ''De Magistratibus'', 51</ref> He surrounded himself with trusted advisors, the most prominent being his nephew Flavius Petrus Sabbatius, whom he adopted as his son and invested with the name Iustinianus (Justinian).{{sfn|Mitchell|2007|pp=124–25}} Another was the [[Quaestor sacri palatii|''quaestor'']] Proclus.<ref>Procopius, ''Historia Arcana'', 6.13</ref>

=== Foreign affairs ===
[[File:Justinien 527-565.svg|thumb|The extent of the Byzantine Empire under Justin I is shown in brown. (The light orange shows the conquests of his successor, Justinian.)]]
Justin endeavoured to cultivate client states on the borders of the Empire, and avoided any significant warfare until late in his reign.<ref name=Dumb>{{Cite web|url=https://www.doaks.org/resources/online-exhibits/gods-regents-on-earth-a-thousand-years-of-byzantine-imperial-seals/rulers-of-byzantium/anonymous-justin-i-519-or-522-201327|title=Justin I (518–527) – Dumbarton Oaks|last=noahm|website=www.doaks.org|language=en|access-date=21 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821160532/https://www.doaks.org/resources/online-exhibits/gods-regents-on-earth-a-thousand-years-of-byzantine-imperial-seals/rulers-of-byzantium/anonymous-justin-i-519-or-522-201327|archive-date=21 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 497 Anastasius had agreed with [[Theoderic the Great|Theoderic]], the [[Ostrogoths|Ostrogothic]] king of Italy, that he would rule Italy as Anastasius' deputy. This preserved Italy as nominally a part of the Empire, and neutralised a potentially dangerous neighbour. The arrangement suited Theodoric, as the Ostrogoths were a small aristocratic minority in Italy and the blessing of Constantinople helped reconcile the majority of the population to their rule. The feelings of the majority of Italians towards the Empire were mixed, as Anastasius was a Miaphysite, while they were Chalcedonian. The Ostrogoths were Arians, and there was a tendency to consider both them and Miaphysites as different breeds of heretics. With a strongly Chalcedonian emperor on the throne and the Italian-based papacy formally healing the rift the situation became less stable. Initially relations were friendly. Theodoric's son-in-law [[Eutharic]] was appointed consul in Constantinople in 519 and confirmed as Theodoric's heir. Eutharic died in 522, by which time Justin's policies, possibly influenced by Justinian, had become more anti-Arian. In 526 Theodoric died, leaving Eutharic's ten-year-old son [[Athalaric]] as heir to the throne.{{sfn|Vasiliev|1950|pp=321–28}}<ref name=Rom />

[[File:37-manasses-chronicle.jpg|thumb|left|Justin I (left) persecuting Miaphysites, miniature from the 12th century [[Manasses Chronicle]]]]

A number of initiatives in respect of neighbouring states were founded on religious motives, and were usually developed by Justinian as he assumed more power towards the end of Justin's reign. [[Kaleb of Axum|Kaleb I]] of [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksum]] was probably encouraged to aggressively enlarge his empire by Justin. Contemporary chronicler John Malalas reported that Byzantine merchants were robbed and killed by the Jewish king of the south Arabian kingdom of [[Himyar]], causing Kaleb to claim, "You have acted badly because you have killed merchants of the Christian Romans, which is a loss both to myself and my kingdom."<ref name="Haas" /> Himyar was a client state of the Sassanian Persians, perennial enemies of the Byzantines. After Kaleb invaded Himyar around 523, Justin saw what is now Yemen pass from Sassanian control to the rule of an allied Christian state.<ref name="Haas">{{Cite web|url=http://users.clas.ufl.edu/sterk/junsem/haas.pdf|title=Mountain Constantines: The Christianization of Aksum and Iberi|last=Haas|first=Christopher|date=Spring 2008|pages=121–22|website=Project Muse|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329065343/http://users.clas.ufl.edu/sterk/junsem/haas.pdf|archive-date=29 March 2018|url-status=live|access-date=20 August 2018}}</ref>

A number of small states on the borders of the Byzantine Empire and of Sassanian Persia were constant areas of contention between the two powers. The Georgian [[Sasanian Iberia|Principality of Iberia]] was in the Sassanian sphere of influence, but was Christian. Iberian bishops were sent to [[Antioch]] in the Byzantine Empire to be [[consecrate]]d. [[Vakhtang I of Iberia]] was encouraged into war with the Sassanians. A "fervent Christian", his religious policies were "part and parcel of his larger strategic aims".<ref name="Haas" /> After a lengthy struggle he was defeated and Iberia subjugated as a Sassanian province in 522.<ref name="Haas" />

[[Lazica]] was another border state; it was Christian, but in the Sassanid sphere. Its king, [[Tzath I of Lazica|Tzath]], wished to weaken Sassanid influence. In 521 or 522, he went to Constantinople to receive the insignia and royal robes of kingship from Justin's hand and to make his submission. He was also [[baptized]] as a [[Christians|Christian]] and married a Byzantine noblewoman, Valeriana. After having been confirmed in his kingdom by the Byzantine emperor, he returned to Lazica. Shortly after Justin's death, the Sassanids attempted to forcibly regain control, but were beaten off with assistance from Justin's successor.{{sfn|Martindale|Jones|Morris|1980|p=1207}}{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=79–80}}

In 524, the Sassanid emperor [[Kavadh I]] approached Justin asking that he formally adopt his youngest son, [[Khosrow I|Khosrow]], in order to secure his succession over his elder, but less favoured, brothers. Justin was agreeable, but, aware that, being childless himself, an adopted Persian son would have a claim on the Byzantine throne, offered adoption according to barbarian custom. The Persians were insulted and broke off all negotiations.{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=181–82}} In 526, the Byzantines raided Persian Armenia at Justinian's initiative. Justinian was increasingly taking control of policy from his aging uncle. The raiding parties were led by two of Justinian's up-and-coming military protégees, [[Sittas]] and [[Belisarius]]. The raids achieved little, other than to make a statement of intent.<ref name=Rom />

=== Religion ===

Justin's reign is noteworthy for the resolution of the [[Acacian schism]] between the eastern and western branches of the Christian church. On ascending the throne Justin invited [[Pope Hormisdas]] to Constantinople for negotiations. Justinian sent a similar, but separate, invitation; said to have been closer to a summons. Hormisdas promptly despatched a delegation to Constantinople with instructions to state the orthodox position rather than to negotiate. Carrying out a policy developed by his nephew Justinian, the future emperor, Justin endorsed Rome's view on the question of the dual nature of Christ. On 28 March 519, in the cathedral of Constantinople in the presence of a great throng of people, a reluctant [[John of Cappadocia|Patriarch John II]] accepted the formula of Pope Hormisdas and the end of the schism was concluded in a solemn ceremony.<ref name=Rom>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roman-emperors.org/justin.htm|title=Roman Emperors – DIR Justinian|website=www.roman-emperors.org|access-date=20 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515232101/http://www.roman-emperors.org/justin.htm|archive-date=15 May 2008|url-status=live}}</ref>

For the first three years of his reign Justin persecuted the Miaphysites, even serving soldiers. Thereafter he adopted a more pragmatic approach. In 523 Justin issued a strict edict against [[Arianism]]. Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths and ruler of Italy, was an Arian himself, as were most Ostrogoths. He despatched [[Pope John I]], Pope Hormisdas' successor, to Constantinople with firm instructions to obtain a policy reversal. John received an exceptionally warm welcome; the population of Constantinople applauded him, Justin laid on celebrations, prostrated himself at the Pope's feet and insisted on being re-crowned by the Pope's hands. John did not succeed in having the edict overturned, it seems that he did not press the matter. On his return to Italy an enraged Theodoric had him flung into prison, where he shortly died.<ref name=Rom /><ref name="ce">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Pope St. John I}}</ref>{{sfn|Meyendorff|1989|p=222}}

Again encouraged by Justinian, Justin increasingly expressed his position as emperor as a religious one. He claimed that "we have been elected to the empire by favour of the indivisible [[Trinity]].{{sfn|Ostrogorsky|1957|p=64}}{{sfn|Mitchell|2007|pp=124–25, 293–94}} Edicts were endorsed with "We continuously commit ourselves to all plans and actions in the name of Jesus Christ".{{sfn|Mitchell|2007|p=294}} In either 519 or 522 Justin abandoned the tradition of depicting pagan symbols on the reverse of his coins and seals. "During the reign, the characteristic identifying the reverse female figure as Victory, a high girdle below the breasts, was substituted by a tunic, therefore identifying the figure as an angel."<ref name=Dumb /> This was a very public and widespread restatement of the Empire as a Christian state.<ref name=Dumb />

=== Later years ===
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = Mosaic of Justinianus I - Basilica San Vitale (Ravenna).jpg
| width1 = 148
| alt1 =
| caption1 =
| image2 = Empress Theodora mosaic detail (cropped).png
| width2 = 150
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| footer = Mosaics of Justinian I and his wife Theodora, [[Basilica of San Vitale]], 547
}}
The later years of the reign of Justin were marked by increased tension with the Empire's neighbours, especially the Ostrogoths, and the Sassanids. In 526 Antioch was destroyed by [[526 Antioch earthquake|an earthquake]] with an estimated 250,000 deaths. Justin arranged for sufficient money to be sent to the city for both immediate relief and to start reconstruction. The rebuilding of the Great Church and many other buildings was overseen by [[Ephraim of Antioch|Ephraim]], the ''[[comes Orientis]]'', whose efforts saw him replace Euphrasius as the [[Chalcedonian]] patriarch of Antioch. Many of the buildings erected after the earthquake were destroyed by another major earthquake in November 528, although there were far fewer casualties.<ref name="Meier">{{cite journal|last=Meier|first=M.|year=2007|title=Natural Disasters in the Chronographia of John Malalas : Reflections on their Function --An Initial Sketch|journal=The Medieval History Journal|volume=10|issue=1–2|pages=237–266|doi=10.1177/097194580701000209|citeseerx=10.1.1.1025.7374|s2cid=162788360}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>{{sfn|Martindale|Jones|Morris|1980|p=395}}<ref name=Sbeinati>{{Cite journal|title=The historical earthquakes of Syria: an analysis of large and moderate earthquakes from 1365 B.C. to 1900 A.D|last=Sbeinati|first=M.R.|author2=Darawcheh, R.|author3=Mouty, M.|name-list-style=amp|year=2005|journal=Annals of Geophysics|volume=48|issue=3|pages=347–435|access-date=22 September 2011|url=http://www.earth-prints.org/bitstream/2122/908/1/01Sbeinati.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726011234/http://www.earth-prints.org/bitstream/2122/908/1/01Sbeinati.pdf|archive-date=26 July 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Procopius of Caesarea]]'s Byzantine historia indicate that Justin I's mental faculties had begun to [[dementia|decline]] in his old age, going as far as to write "the Emperor, as an idiot and advanced in age, caused the laugh of the environment, and was also accused of delays in decisions and inability for his duties."<ref>Haury J, Wirth G. ''Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia.'' Lipsiae et Berolini: Teubner, 1962.</ref>