Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/383

* JUSTIN. 351 JUSTINIAN I. the Platflnists. According to the story which he iiimself relates, one da_7 while wandering along the seashore, he encountered a man of mild and venerable aspect, who led him to the study of the Jewish prophets and the great Christian teacher whom they foretold. The result was his con- version to Christianity, which probably took place at Ephesus about 13.5. After his con- version he retained the garb of a philosopher, but, as a Christian philosopher, he strove by his writings and his instnictions to bring others to the truth hich he had himself discovered. From his Jewish acquaintances he got his knowledge of rabbinical literature. He lived for some time in Rome and is said to have been beheaded about the year 165, in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, be- cause he refused to offer sacrifice to the heathen gods. The works of Justin, although not very voluminous, are highly interesting and impor- tant. The books ascribed to him with certainty are two Apologies for the Christians, the first addressed "to Antoninus Pius," the second "to the Roman Senate." and a Dialogue with Try- phon the Jew, which professes to be the record of an actual discussion held at Ephesus. Some other extant works have been ascribed to him, but on insufficient grounds, and several of his works cited by ancient authors have been lost. The first edition of his works is that of Robert Stephens (Paris, 1.551). The Benedictine edition of Justin, by Maran, appeared at Paris in 1742, and Otto's— the best — at Jena in 1842-46 (3d ed., 5 vols. 1876-81) ; there is an English translation in the Ante-Xicene Fathers, vol. i. (New York, 1885). Consult: Semisch, Justin der iliirtyrer (Breslau, 1840-42) ; Pur-es, Testimony of Jus- tin Martyr to Early Christianity (New York, 1889) ; Flemming, Zur Beurteilung des Chris- tentums Justiuus'' des Miirtyrers (Leipzig, 1893); Baldus, Das Verhaltnis Justinus' des Miirtyrers zu unseren synoptischen Evangelien (Miinster, 1895). JUSTIN I., THE Elder (452-527). Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. His parents were Goths, but he entered as a private into the body- guard of the Emperor Anastasius I., and rose to the rank of Senator and commander of the Im- perial guards. On the death of Anastasius. a.d. 518, the army proclaimed Justin Emperor. Feel- ing that he was unfitted to direct the internal civil administrations, he wisely resigned this duty at first to the quaestor Proclus, and later to his nephew, Justinian. His decrees against the Arians led to the break between the Catholics in Italy and Theodoric (q.v.). Some time before his death, August 1, 527, he adopted Justinian (q.v.). Consult Bury, Later Roman Empire (London, 1889). JUSTIN II., THE Yox'NGER ( ?-578 ). Byzan- tine Emperor from 565 to 578. He succeeded his uncle, -Justinian I., and espoused Sophia, the niece of the Empress Theodora, a beautiful and able but revengeful woman. At first he gave promise of a mild rule, but soon his rule became a vacillating one. Through the influence of the Empress Sophia, Narses(q.v.) was dismissed from the exarchy of Ravenna, though the Longobards were meditating an invasion of Italy. These bar- barians, on hearing of the disgrace of the one man whom they dreaded, in 568 burst like an avalanche upon Italy. Northern and Central Italy was soon in their power. In the midst of a war with Khosru, King of Persia, .Justin died September £6, 578, after appointing Tiberius, one of his gen- erals, as his successor. Consult Bury, Later Roman Empire (London, 1889). JUSTIN'IAN I., Flavus Aniciu.s Justin- l.Nrs (4S:!-565). Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 505. He was born probably Jlay 11. 483, in the village of Tauresium, in Illyricum. His name was LTprauda, which he changed to Jus- tinian. Although of obscure parentage, he shared the success of his maternal uncle, Justin I. (q.v.), being invited at an earh' age to Con- stantinople, ^vhere he received a careful educa- tion. When his uncle was elevated to the purple, in 518, he promoted his nephew to one position after another, and in 527, by the advice of the Senate, proclaimed him his colleague in the Empire. Justin survived the step but a few months, and Justinian was crowned as sole Emperor. His long reign is the most brilliant in the history of the later Empire. Although him- self without taste or capacity for military com- mand, he had the skill to select able generals, £uch as Belisarius and Narses. In his first war — that with Persia — he concluded a treaty by which a long-threatened crisis was warded off tempo- rarily; but the rejoicings for this terminated in a domestic revolution. A conflict of the so-called Blue and Green factions in the circus in 532 was an outburst of political discontent, which went so far as to elect a rival Emperor, Hypatius. .Jus- tinian was struck with dismay, and made prepa- rations for flight ; but the vigor and determina- tion of his Empress, Theodora (q.v. ), arrested the revolt. Belisarius, with a relentless hand, re- pressed the tumult, 30.000 victims having, it is said, fallen in a single day. By the arms of Beli- sarius the Vandal Kingdom of Africa was rean- nexed to the Empire (533-534) ; and the same general and his successor, Narses, restored the Imperial authority in Rome as well as in North- ern Italy and a portion of Spain (535-554). His second war with Persia (c. 540-502) was ended by Justinian's agreeing to pay an annual tribute. The Slavs and Huns were constantly attacking the Empire on the north and ravaging its terri- tory, so that, in spite of his conquests, he left a weak empire to his successor. He died Novem- ber 14, 565. .Justinian was a great builder of aqueducts, fortresses, churches (Saint Sophia), quays, har- bors, and monasteries. These, together with the sums needed for his wars, involved an enormous expenditure, and the fiscal administration of tlustinian. in consequence, pressed heavily on the public resources and on the people. It is. how- ever, as a legislator that Justinian has gained his greatest renown. Immediately on his acces- sion he appointed a committee of lawj'ers, with Tribonianus (q.v. ) as chairman, to collect all pre- vious legislative enactments which were still in force, and to compile a code. (See Code.) The authoritative commentaries of the jurists were next collected, digested, and publi.shed under the title of Pandects (q.v.). The code was repub- lished in 534 with the addition of Justinian's own Constitutions. The third great legal under- taking was the composition of a systematic treatise on the laws for the guidance of students and lawyers. This was published a month before the Digest, under the title of In.ititutioncs. i.e. "Institutes." It is difficult, from the character of his acts and from the nature of our sources