Peter Frankopan
Historian of Byzantium
Peter Frankopan has studied Justinian and Theodora's legacy in Byzantium and beyond. How far you think the laws that this time were inspired by a kind of Christian morality?
Peter "This is mainly a Christian Empire and one which distributes injustice from the top to the bottom of society. The slaves and the children and the women and the dispossessed were given rights in Byzantium."
Peter Frankopan
These laws that were passed under Theodora and Justinian's watch but are obviously immensely impactful in their own day, but what about their legacy?
Peter "Well, one of the most important parts of the laws, I think, is the idea that you are innocent until proved guilty, which is the foundation stone of every legal system in the world, pretty much, I remember travelling around Eastern Europe after the Berlin wall came down. There was a lot of discussion about what kind of legal systems would emerge in Communist Europe, and I was very surprised in 1990, looking back from Moscow and from Berlin, that the place we looked for their reference point, was to Constantinople in the 530s, which, as a historian, I found it lovely, but also a bit of a surprise."
Theodora's Christian ideals have clearly shaped the world we live in today, but how did her own society react?
Peter "These legal reforms and the social reforms really stuck in the throat of the rich and powerful. Within the first three or four years, they faced a real showdown about whether they'd actually manage to hang on to the throne."
In 532 A.D., the clash between rulers and ruled came to a head where Theodora had called up, the great Hippodrome. Thousands started to crowd into the Hippodrome and began to make their complaints to the Emperor. Accused of blasphemy by the Imperial guards, the protesters stormed out. Within days, violence broke out in pockets right across the city and Justinian decided to act. He ordered the deaths of the ringleaders. That night, the mob went on the rampage, setting fire to the city and butchering innocents. The next day, they were calling for a new Emperor. As chaos engulfed the streets of Constantinople, Justinian and Theodora sheltered in their palace. Soon, it looked as though they were going to attack the palace itself. Justinian ordered a ship to be loaded with gold in preparation for their flight. But Theodora was made from sterner stuff.
