Justinian Dynasty

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The Justinian dynasty is considered to be the last imperial dynasty of late Roman antiquity . They included Emperor Justin I (518 to 527), his famous nephew Justinian (527 to 565) and his nephew and successor Justin II (565 to 578); The two subsequent emperors, Tiberius Constantinus (578 to 582) and Mauricius (582 to 602), were connected to her by adoption. The dynasty, which came from the Latin-speaking Danube provinces, ruled from 518 to 602.

The Roman Empire was under since the abolition of the Western Roman Empire 476 theoretically in its entirety the Augustus in Konstantin Opel , and the Justinian Dynasty stopped these claims firmly undeterred that sought not only diplomatically, but also forcibly enforce the west. The (East) Roman (or early Byzantine) Empire of the 6th century was still strongly influenced by Roman-ancient traditions in many areas, and the Greek language in the East was not yet generally different from Latin , the Native language of Justin I and Justinian, enforced; Latin was still important at court, in administration, and in the army. Syrian historiography (e.g. Michael the Syrian ) accordingly stated that the time of the "Greek" emperors began only after Justin II.

Despite increasing military problems, especially in the Balkans and on the eastern border, the emperors of this time were undisputedly the most powerful rulers in the Mediterranean area, which since Justinian's offensives in Italy, North Africa and Hispania have again for the most part been under direct Roman rule - even if only for a limited time and partly bought with high sacrifices. What is also striking is the increasing "liturgization" ( Mischa Meier ) of late Roman society in these decades, that is, the ever closer connection between religion and politics. After military setbacks in 574, Emperor Justin II fell into mental derangement and was therefore forced to appoint Tiberius Constantinus, who was not related to him, as co-regent and successor. His adoptive son Mauricius then seemed to be on the verge of being able to settle the increasingly difficult foreign policy situation of the empire through a peace with the Sassanids and subsequent campaigns in the Danube region , when he fell victim to a mutiny that also meant the final end of the Justinian dynasty.

Other important members of the Justinian dynasty included Germanus , a cousin of Justinian, and his sons Justin , Justinian and Germanus Postumus .

literature

  • Averil Cameron et al. a. (Ed.): The Cambridge Ancient History . Vol 14. Late Antiquity: Empire and Successors . Cambridge 2000, p. 63ff.
  • Arnold HM Jones: The Later Roman Empire . Oxford 1964, p. 266ff.
  • Hartmut Leppin : Justinian. The Christian experiment. Stuttgart 2011.
  • Stephen Mitchell: A History of the Later Roman Empire . Malden 2015, p. 132ff.