The Roman Empire in the East, c. 500–565

The eastern Roman Empire (later called the Byzantine Empire—see Chapter 8) avoided the massive transformations that reshaped the western Roman Empire. Trade and agriculture kept the eastern empire from poverty, while its emperors used force, diplomacy, and bribery to prevent invasions from the north and repel attacks by the powerful Sasanid Empire in Persia.

The eastern emperors believed it was their duty to rule a united Roman Empire and prevent barbarians from degrading its culture. The most famous eastern Roman emperor, Justinian (r. 527–565), and his wife and partner in rule, Theodora (500–548), waged war against the barbarian kingdoms in the west, aiming to reunite the empire and restore the imperial glory of the Augustan period. Justinian increased imperial authority and tried to purify religion to satisfy what he saw as his duty to provide strong leadership and God’s favor. He and his successors in the eastern empire contributed to the preservation of the memory of classical Greek and Roman culture by preserving a great deal of earlier literature, non-Christian and Christian.