The Golden Age of Byzantine Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Golden Age of Byzantine Empire - Essay Example The very issue indeed of Justinian I's ruling is the ruling of him in this period. For the traits and characteristics of this ruler opposed of those great rulers. The author of The Secret History added his descriptions to him as "deceitful, devious, false, hypocritical, two-faced, cruel, skilled in dissembling his thought, never moved to tears by either joy or pain, though he could summon them artfully at will when the occasion demanded, a liar always, not only offhand, but in writing, and when he swore sacred oaths to his subjects in their very hearing. Then he would immediately break his agreements and pledges, like the vilest of slaves, whom indeed only the fear of torture drives to confess their perjury. A faithless friend, he was a treacherous enemy, insane for murder and plunder, quarrelsome and revolutionary, easily led to anything evil, but never willing to listen to good counsel, quick to plan mischief and carry it out, but finding even the hearing of anything good distastef ul to his ears". One issue is the changing of the law in the Emperor's own favor. A definite instance is to permit him to marry a courtesan, in which the former law forbids him to. The ignorance in state of affairs of the Empress Euphemia permitted him to perversed the law especially after her death. Justinian's choice of wife put him in shame as Theodora is known and condemned for several abortions, but blinded by his own preference. Procopius put this marriage this way "I need hardly mention any other proof of the character of this man: for all the perversity of his soul was completely displayed in this union; which alone was ample interpreter, witness, and historian of his shamelessness". In an independent minded citizen during that period like Procopius, having someone like Theodora in the monarchial power is a disgrace that is yielded and majestically honored by many. Their marital affair affected christianity, as it was split in two, siding one side to the Emperor and the other to Theodora every time they were having disagreement. Each party stands as an opposition to one another. Theodora supported the Blues, and encouraged them to make the most of the heinous violence against the opposing party; while Justinian, lead the opposition pretentiously not opposing her orders. The Blues being punished and compensated whenever she was being defeated by her husband. Both were in guile to serve their own selfish intentions, even reached to the point of dropping their parties and stripping off the properties of the members once they were not in used anymore. Procopius clearly stated that "as soon as Justinian came into power he turned everything upside down" pertaining the perversion he made within the previous laws just to serve his intentions. As the Romans were in peace to the world before his term, he managed his way to set battle between the barbarians unfortunately for no logical reason. This proves his lust for slaughtering leveling him as a mass murderer indirectly. The slavery of the Roman empires under the Huns was through the will of the Emperor himself, even paying the Huns' chieftains to proceed on their barbaric domination. This condition of Romans invited others to robbed them off their own wealth, and after these