Year 9
Unit 5 - The Early Middle Ages
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As we have seen, with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, only the Eastern Roman remained strong and prosperous. Under the leadership of one of the greatest Roman emperors Justinian, Rome once again set out to reconquer the former Roman lands of the Mediterranean that had fallen into the hands of the 'barbarians'. To begin with we need to understand a little bit more about the unusual background of Justinian. Unlike Pope Gregory in the west, Justinian was not born into a life of wealth and privilege.
Activity 1
Watch the video opposite. In your own words, explain briefly how Justinian became emperor. |
Belisarius next attacked the East-Goths in Italy - Justinian’s main goal. Approaching by way of Sicily, he soon captured Rome (537) and Ravenna (540). The war seemed to be won. But the enemy suddenly recovered and fighting dragged on until 553, when the Goths were finally defeated. Large parts of Italy suffered great damage. Rome, which was captured and re-captured several times, became almost a heap of wreckage. Finally, Justinian’s forces moved against the West-Goths in Spain. But after hard fighting they captured only the south-eastern corner of the kingdom. Much of the old Western Empire was still in barbarian hands when Justinian died.
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Nowadays Justinian is remembered more as a reformer than as a conqueror. He reformed the tax system so that the empire had a regular and reliable supply of funds and most famously he oversaw a change in the legal system. Over the centuries there had been so many changes in the law that magistrates often did not know what was the correct judgment. |
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Activity 2
Explain why Justinian is considered to be one of the most important Roman emperors. Identify at least three important successes that Justinian was responsible for. Extension If you have time, watch this Crash Course episode on the Fall of Rome. It provides a broad overview of events in both east and west that you should understand now. You might even understand some of John Green's jokes. |
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