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

666 JUSTINIANUS; JUSTINIANUS.
Petrus Gyllius (English translation by'Johh Ball, inuch as humanity. If we lozok at his endless and
London, 1]729), give a. description of the -most re- glorious wars, we should think that he was a great
markable buildings of Justinian, in Constantinople. warrior himself, or possessed at least great military
Justinian paid 45 centenaries'of gold (nearly talents: but however great-his talents were, they
200,0001.), towards the rebuilding and embellish- were notin that line; -he never showed himself in
ment of Antioch, after it had been destroyed by the field, and his subjects called him a bigoted and
an earthquake; his native village he transformed cowardly tyrant. As a statesman he was crafty
into a large and splendid city, to which- he gave rather than wise; yet his legislation is a lasting
his name; and, in short, there was'not a town of monument of his administrative genius, and has
consequence in his vast dominions, from the Columns given him a place in the opinion of the world far
of Hercules to the shores of the Caspian, but could beyond that which he really deserves. (Procopius,
show some beautiful monument of the emperor's with special reference to his Aneedota and De
splendour and taste. Asia Minor still contains a Aedifwiis; Agathias, Hist.; Paulus Silentiarius;
great number of edifices erected by Justinian, and Cedrenus, p. 366, &c.; Zonaras, xiv. p. 60, &c.;
our modern travellers have discovered many which Joannes Malala, vol. ii. p. 138, &c.; Marcellinus,
were -formerly unknown. Indeed his love of C'Aron. ad an. 520, &c, p. 50, &c,; Theophanes,
splendour and,his munificence in matters of taste, p. 300, &c.; Evagrius, iv. 8, &c. in the Paris edishow, or luxury, no less than his extraordinary tions; Jornandes, De Reyn. Scc. p. 62, &c., De
power, made his name known over the world, Reb. Got/s. p. 143, &c. ed. Lindenbrog; Paulus
whence he received embassies'from the remotest Diaconus, De Gest. Longobard. i. 25, &c., ii. 4, &c.;
nations of Asia. In his reign the silk-worm was Ludewig, Vita Jtstiniani, &c., Halle, 1731, is
brought to Constantinople, by'some Nestorian rather too flattering; the best description of the
monks, who had visited their fellow-Christians in reign and character of Justinian is given in GibChina. bon's Decline and Fall.) [W. P.]
In 541 Justinian abolished the consulship, or,
more correctly, discontinued the old-established
custom of choosing consuls.' The consulate being
a mere title, it was but reasonable to do away with The idea of forming a complete code of law has
it, although the name was still dear to the people; been attributed to Pompey, to Cicero, and to Julius
but it was not abolished by law until the reign of the Caesar. Such, too, was the original plan of Theoemperor Leo Philosophus (886-91 1.) Justinian dosius the younger, although a much more limited
likewise shut up the schools at Athens and Alexan- design was ultimately:carried into effect in the
dria, wherethe Neo-Platonists still professed dogmas Theodosian Code. [DIODoRus.] Shortly before
which the orthodox emperor thought dangerous to the reign of Justinian, upon the submission of the
Christianity. In the time of Justinian, however, Western empire to Germanic rule, the Roman law
those schools were only a shadow of what they had was:still allowed to retain its force in the West by
been inthe first centuries of our era. Christian the side of a newly-introduced Germanic jurispruorthodoxy was one:of the most important objects dence. The Lea Romana, as' it was barbarously
which- Justinian endeavoured. to establish in his called, remained the law of the subjugated Romans,
empire, and many of his laws testify his zeal on while the -Barbari, as the Germans were proud to
behalf of the church and the clergy. But his be styled, continued to live under their own Teupiety was exaggerated, and toleration was a thing tonic institutions. Under this anomalous system
unknown to him. He persecuted Christian sec- of personal laws, many difficulties must have arisen,
taries, Jews, and pagans, in an equally heartless and it was found necessary to make separate colmanner, and actually endeavoured to'drive them lections of such sources of law as were to be recogall out of his dominions. Towards the end of his nised for the future in regulating the respective
life,'however, Justinian changed his religious rights and duties of the subjugated Roman provinopinions so much that he was considered a com- cials and their conquerors. In the West Gothic
plete heretic. Nestorianism, which he was so kingdom, which was established in Spain and a
active in condemning at the fifth General Council, part of Gaul, a collection of Roman laws was formed
the second of Constantinople, in 553, was the during the reign of Alaric II. (A. D. 484-507),
doctrine which he embraced. partly from the Theodosian, Gregorian, and HerThe character of Justinian presented a strange mogenian Codes, and partly from the works of
mixture of virtues and Vices, but he was neither so jurists.'This collection is known in modern times
depraved as Procopius depicts him, nor so accom- by the name Breviarianz Aniani [IALa NUS], or
plished as the modern jurists of Germany and Breviarium Alaricianum. In A. D. 493 the OstroFrance represent him in their admiration for his goths became masters of Italy, and in'A. D. 500
legislation. His private life was exemplary. He Theodoric. the. Great. published for the use of the
was frugal, laborious, affable, and generous, but his whole population of the Ostrogothic kingdom a set
mean suspicions and unreasonable jealousy never of rules based on the Roman,'not the Gothic law.
allowed him to gain the love of his friends or the About the year A. D. 517 the Lex Romana' Buresteem of his subjects. His conduct towards Be- gundiorumn was compiled for the use of the Burgunlisarius was execrable. Another of his vices was dian Romans. The Burgundian conquerors, who,
rapacity, and it would seem that he considered towards the middle of the fifth century, established
men created to work, not for themselves, but for a kingdom upon the banks of the Rhone, had
him alone. Thence the little regard he paid to the already a similar. code of their own, called Guncomplaints of his subjects with reference to his per- dobada.
petual wars; and although he assisted them with Though the necessities which called for these
great liberality when they were suffering from the legislative efforts in the kingdoms of the West did
consequences of those plagues and earthquakes not exist to the same extent in the Oriental emwhich signalized his time, his motive was vanity as pire, there were, not wanting other reasons for legal