A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

JUSTINIAN US. JUSTINIANUS. 661.
The date'of the birth of Justinian is fixed on the after as many defeats as victories, but without
11th of May, A. D. 483, in L' Art de J7rifier les being compelled by necessity, Justinian made peace
Dates (vol. i. p. 409), where the question is cri- with Chosroes, the Persian king, who desisted
tically investigated. His birthplace was the village from further hostilities on receiving an annual
of Tauresium, in the district of Bederiana, in Dar- tribute of 440,000 pieces of gold. Justinian
dania, where he afterwards built the splendid city wished for peace with Persia, because he intended
of Justiniana, on the site of which stands the to make war against the Vandals in Africa, and to
modern town of Kostendil. (See D'Anville, Me1- subdue, if possible, the political factions by which
moire sus deux villes qui ont porte le nors de Jus- the empire had so often been shaken, and which
tiniana, in the 31st vol. of Mimoires de l'Acaddmnie had created a fearful riot in the very year that the
~ es Inscriptions et Belles Lettres.) peace was concluded with Persia. In January,.
At an early age Justinian went to Constanti- 532, Justinian honoured the public feast in the
nople, where his uncle Justin, who had risen to high hippodrome with his presence, being surrounded by
military honours, took care of his education and vast numbers of the " Blue faction " (ol BWveTOL),
advancement. During some time he lived as an who were adherents of the orthodox Catholic
hostage at the court of Theodoric, king of the East church, and, consequently, partisans of the orthoGoths. After the accession of his uncle Justin to dox emperor. Suddenly some of the " Green facthe imperial throne, in 518, he rose to eminence, tion" (oe rIpdy-wot), who had already made much
and prepared his own fortune by securing that of noise, rose and complained of several grievances,
the emperor. Active in the destruction of the eu- especially that the emperor patronised the Blue,
nuch Amantius and his associates, he contrived or and showed himself too indulgent towards their
perpetrated the murder of Vitalian, the Goth, so riotous and dissolute conduct. They further com-.
famous by his rebellion against the emperor Anas- plained of fiscal oppression and the partial administasius, and who was stabbed at a banquet in the tration of justice. In all these points they were
presence of Justin and Justinian. In reward perfectly right. The emperor answered them
for his faithful allegiance, Justinian was made through a crier (MavrdTwp, the Latin Mandator),
commander-in-chief of the armies in Asia; but he and a long dialogue ensued, which grew more and
was no warrior, and preferred remaining at Con- more violent on both sides, and which Theophanes
stantinople, where he canvassed. the friendship of gives with apparent fidelity. The Blues took the
the clergy and the senators. He was advanced to emperor's part; the quarrel came to blows, and
the consulship in 521, and his influence became so after a short struggle within the hippodrome, the
great, that, at the suggestion of the senate, the infuriated factions rushed into the streets, and soon
aged emperor adopted him, and proclaimed him Constantinople was filled with murder and bloodco-emperor, 1st of April, 527. Justin died a few shed. The houses of the leaders of the two parties
months afterwards, and Justinian was crowned by were demolished, others were set on fire; and every
the patriarch of Constantinople, together with his body being engaged either in saving their own lives
wife, the actress Theodora, whom he raised to the or in attempting the lives of others, the flames
dignity of empress, in spite of the opposition of his spread from street to street, and a general conflamother and other relatives. [THEODORA.] gration consumed thousands of houses, the church
Justinian signalised his accession by public of St. Sophia, a large part of the imperial palace,
festivals more splendid than the Greeks had ever the baths of Zeuxippus (Alexander), the great. bhoswitnessed, and the money alone which was distri- pital of Sampso, and a vast number of churches
batted among the people is said to have amounted and public or private palaces. After five days'
to 288,000 pieces of gold. Had he not been an murder and plunder, many thousands of dead
excellent financier, his extravagances might have bodies covered the streets, or lay roasting among
impeded his operations against the enemies of the burning ruins. These riots are known by the
empire, against whom he was obliged to prosecute name of the fica riots, the word iCKa, " be victhe war which had been begun by his predecessor; torious," having been the war-cry of both the Blue
but he understood thoroughly the subtle art of and the Green. Unfortunately for the emperor,
emptying those' purses again which his liberality the two factions, after fighting against each other,
had filled; and if his generals were not successful perceived that the victory of neither would remove
against the Persians, it was not for want of money. those abuses against which the Green had first
The Huns on the northern shores of the Euxine, risen, and they consequently formed an union, and
especially around the Palus Maeotis, or the Sea of turned their fury against such of the imperial
Azof, were either subjugated or submitted volun- officers as were most suspected of peculation and
tarily; and the Arabs, who made frequent inroads oppression. The chief objects of their hatred were
into Syria as far as Antioch, were likewise, though the quaestor Tribonian, the jurist, and the praefect
with more. difficulty, compelled to desist from hos- John, of Cappadocia; Justinian deposed them
tilities. The relations between Constantinople and both, in order to appease the popular fury, but
Persia were of an indifferent. character, and' an in vain. Hypatius and Pompeius, two nephews
open war broke out between the two powers, when of the late emperor Anastasius, who were removed
Justinian promised to assist Tzathus, the king of from the court because they were suspected of
the Lazi, between Pontus and the Caucasus, who being engaged in the riots, were, apparently
came to Constantinople to implore the aid of the against their will, chosen by the populace to act as
Romans against the Persians. In the first cam- their leaders; Hypatius was proclaimed emperor,
paign against these hereditary enemies of Rome, and Justinian, despairing of quelling the rebellion,
the generals of Justinian, Belisarius, Cyricus, and prepared to fly with his treasures to HIeracleia, in
Petrus, were defeated; but their successor, Petrus Thrace, none of his ministers, not even Belisarius,
Notarius, was successful. The. war was chiefly having succeeded in discovering any means of
carried on in Armenia, but also on the frontiers of saving their master in this critical moment. He
Syria and Mesopotamia, and lasted till 532, when, would have been lost. but for his wife Theodora,
uu 3