Justinian I

This episode explores the transformative and complex reign of Justinian I, emphasizing his efforts to restore the former glory of the Roman Empire through military conquests, legal reforms, and architectural splendor. It details how he led the transition between Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centralizing power in Constantinople, although his ambitions frequently clashed with the harsh realities of fiscal crisis, religious divisions, and the devastating bubonic plague. The episode highlights key figures such as Empress Theodora and General Belisarius, while also examining the paradox of a leader who expanded the empire's borders but exhausted its structural foundations. Ultimately, Justinian is portrayed as a crucial historical figure whose enduring legacy remains most visible in the Corpus Juris Civilis and the monumental Hagia Sophia. This overview underscores that while his reign reached territorial and cultural peaks, it also revealed the extreme fragility of maintaining universal authority in the Mediterranean in a constantly changing world.