Justinian (general)
Encyclopedia
Justinian was an East Roman (Byzantine
) aristocrat and general, and a member of the ruling Justinian dynasty
. As a soldier, he had a distinguished career in the Balkans
and in the East against Sassanid Persia. In his later years, he plotted unsuccessfully against regent and later emperor Tiberius II.
(r. 527–565). He had an elder brother, Justin
, and a sister, Justina, who married the general John.
Justinian was first appointed to military command in 550, when he, together with his brother Justin, were to accompany their father in his expedition against Ostrogoth Italy. Germanus however died suddenly in autumn 550, before the army had left the Balkans, where it was assembling. After this, Justinian and John (Germanus' son-in-law) were ordered to lead the army towards Salona
(modern Split
, Croatia
), in preparation for a crossing over to Italy or an overland march to Venetia. John remained in charge of the army until the eunuch Narses
, who was appointed as the expedition's new commander-in-chief in early 551, arrived at Salona to take up command. In early 552, Justinian was placed at the head of an expedition against the Slavs who were raiding the Illyricum
, and shortly after, was sent to assist the Lombards
against the Gepids. His brother Justin was also a member of this army. The two brothers however were detained by the need to suppress a revolt in the city of Ulpiana
, and never arrived to aid the Lombards.
per Armeniam). From this post he supported the outbreak of the Iberian
and Armenian
rebellion against the Sassanids, which led to the outbreak of a twenty-year long conflict between Byzantium and Persia.
In 572, he supported the Armenian forces under Vardan Mamikonian in their defence of Dvin
, and, when the fortress eventually fell, in its recapture later in the year. Soon however he was recalled to Constantinople because of friction with the Armenians. In late 574 or early 575, he was appointed as magister militum per Orientem and overall commander of the Byzantine forces in the East. In this role, he set about training the numerous fresh troops raised by the Empire, and effected a reconciliation with the Ghassanid ruler al-Mundhir
, restoring thus the traditional Byzantine alliance with his people. A three-year truce was soon after concluded for the Mesopotamia
n front, but it did not apply to Armenia.
In summer 575 or 576, Justinian failed to block the advance of the Persian army, headed by Shah Khosrau I
himself, through Persarmenia
. When the Shah entered into Byzantine Cappadocia
and advanced towards Caesarea
however, Justinian gathered a superior army and blocked the mountain passes leading to it. Khosrau withdrew, sacking Sebasteia in the process. Justinian pursued Khosrau, and twice he trapped him in a pincer movement: the first time, the Persian shah and his army only escaped after abandoning their camp and their belongings to the Byzantines, while the second, the Romans were defeated at a night attack against their encampents near Melitene due to dissension amongst the army's commanders. Then the Persians stormed Melitene and burned it down. As the Persian army was preparing to cross the Euphrates
however, Justinian's forces caught up with them. The next day, the two armies drew up in battle formation near Melitene, but did not clash. Come nightfall, the Persians tried to cross the river in secret, but were detected and attacked by the Byzantines during the crossing. The Persians suffered heavy casualties, while the Byzantines captured great booty, including 24 war elephants which were sent to Constantinople. In the following winter, Justinian advanced deep into Persian territory, through Media Atropatene, and wintered with his army on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea
. Nevertheless, he was unable to regain control over Persarmenia.
In 576/577, the Persian general Tamkhusro invaded Armenia, where he defeated the Byzantines under Justinian. Later, Tamkhusro and Adarmahan
launched a major raid into the Byzantine province of Osroene
. They threatened the town of Constantina, but withdrew when they received word of the approach of the Byzantine army under Justinian. Following these reversals, later in the same year, the Byzantine regent, Caesar
Tiberius, appointed Maurice
as Justinian's successor.
Returning to the capital, according to reports preserved exclusively in Western sources, Justinian was involved in a plot with the Empress Sophia
over the succession of her husband, Justin II
(r. 565–578), whose health was rapidly deteriorating. They intended to assassinate Justin's heir, the Caesar
Tiberius (ruled as Tiberius II in 578–582), and have Justinian ascend the throne. Tiberius however discovered the plot, whereupon Justinian pleaded for forgiveness and offered 1,500 pounds of gold as a sign of contrition. Soon however, between 579 and 581, Sophia and Justin were plotting again. This conspiracy too was uncovered, but Justinian was again pardoned. Justinian had a daughter and a son, who is likely identifiable with Germanus
, who was married to Tiberius' daughter Charito and raised to the rank of Caesar. Justinian died at Constantinople in 582.
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
) aristocrat and general, and a member of the ruling Justinian dynasty
Justinian Dynasty
The Justinian Dynasty is a family who ruled over the Byzantine Empire from 518 to 602. It originated with Justin I and ended with Maurice. Patriarch Germanus I of Constantinople , whose father was named Justinian, might have been a descendant of the dynasty...
. As a soldier, he had a distinguished career in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and in the East against Sassanid Persia. In his later years, he plotted unsuccessfully against regent and later emperor Tiberius II.
Origin and early career
Justinian was born in Constantinople sometime shortly after 525, the second son of Germanus, a cousin to the Emperor Justinian IJustinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
(r. 527–565). He had an elder brother, Justin
Justin (consul 540)
Flavius Mar Petrus Theodorus Valentinus Rusticius Boraides Germanus Iustinus, commonly simply Iustinus was an East Roman aristocrat and general, who was appointed as one of the last Roman consuls in 540....
, and a sister, Justina, who married the general John.
Justinian was first appointed to military command in 550, when he, together with his brother Justin, were to accompany their father in his expedition against Ostrogoth Italy. Germanus however died suddenly in autumn 550, before the army had left the Balkans, where it was assembling. After this, Justinian and John (Germanus' son-in-law) were ordered to lead the army towards Salona
Salona
Salona was an ancient Illyrian Delmati city in the first millennium BC. The Greeks had set up an emporion there. After the conquest by the Romans, Salona became the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia...
(modern Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
), in preparation for a crossing over to Italy or an overland march to Venetia. John remained in charge of the army until the eunuch Narses
Narses
Narses was, with Belisarius, one of the great generals in the service of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I during the "Reconquest" that took place during Justinian's reign....
, who was appointed as the expedition's new commander-in-chief in early 551, arrived at Salona to take up command. In early 552, Justinian was placed at the head of an expedition against the Slavs who were raiding the Illyricum
Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum
The praetorian prefecture of Illyricum was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided.The administrative centre of the prefecture was Sirmium , and, after 379, Thessalonica...
, and shortly after, was sent to assist the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
against the Gepids. His brother Justin was also a member of this army. The two brothers however were detained by the need to suppress a revolt in the city of Ulpiana
Ulpiana
Ulpiana was an ancient Roman city located in what is today Kosovo. It was also named Justiniana Secunda. Ulpiana is situated in the municipality of Lipljan...
, and never arrived to aid the Lombards.
Career in the East
Nothing is known of Justinian during the next 20 years. By 572 however he had risen to the rank of patricius and was placed as commander-in-chief of the forces in the northeastern sector of the Empire's frontier with Sassanid Persia (magister militumMagister militum
Magister militum was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, the term referred to the senior military officer of the Empire...
per Armeniam). From this post he supported the outbreak of the Iberian
Caucasian Iberia
Iberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
and Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
rebellion against the Sassanids, which led to the outbreak of a twenty-year long conflict between Byzantium and Persia.
In 572, he supported the Armenian forces under Vardan Mamikonian in their defence of Dvin
Dvin
Dvin was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along the banks of the Metsamor River, 35 km to the south of modern Yerevan...
, and, when the fortress eventually fell, in its recapture later in the year. Soon however he was recalled to Constantinople because of friction with the Armenians. In late 574 or early 575, he was appointed as magister militum per Orientem and overall commander of the Byzantine forces in the East. In this role, he set about training the numerous fresh troops raised by the Empire, and effected a reconciliation with the Ghassanid ruler al-Mundhir
Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith
Al-Mundhir ibn al-Ḥārith, known in Greek sources as [Flavios] Alamoundaros , was the king of the Ghassanid Arabs from 569 to c. 581. A son of Al-Harith ibn Jabalah, he succeeded his father both in the kingship over his tribe and as the chief of the Byzantine Empire's Arab clients and allies in the...
, restoring thus the traditional Byzantine alliance with his people. A three-year truce was soon after concluded for the Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
n front, but it did not apply to Armenia.
In summer 575 or 576, Justinian failed to block the advance of the Persian army, headed by Shah Khosrau I
Khosrau I
Khosrau I , also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just Khosrau I (also called Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anushirvan or Anushirwan, Persian: انوشيروان meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just...
himself, through Persarmenia
Persarmenia
Nor-Shirakan or Persarmenia , also known as Adiabene, was part of Greater Armenia, but now situated on the western shore of Lake Urmia in northern Iran. Following the partition of Greater Armenia between the Roman Empire and Sassanid Empire in 387, the territory under Sassanid influence became to...
. When the Shah entered into Byzantine Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
and advanced towards Caesarea
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
however, Justinian gathered a superior army and blocked the mountain passes leading to it. Khosrau withdrew, sacking Sebasteia in the process. Justinian pursued Khosrau, and twice he trapped him in a pincer movement: the first time, the Persian shah and his army only escaped after abandoning their camp and their belongings to the Byzantines, while the second, the Romans were defeated at a night attack against their encampents near Melitene due to dissension amongst the army's commanders. Then the Persians stormed Melitene and burned it down. As the Persian army was preparing to cross the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
however, Justinian's forces caught up with them. The next day, the two armies drew up in battle formation near Melitene, but did not clash. Come nightfall, the Persians tried to cross the river in secret, but were detected and attacked by the Byzantines during the crossing. The Persians suffered heavy casualties, while the Byzantines captured great booty, including 24 war elephants which were sent to Constantinople. In the following winter, Justinian advanced deep into Persian territory, through Media Atropatene, and wintered with his army on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. Nevertheless, he was unable to regain control over Persarmenia.
In 576/577, the Persian general Tamkhusro invaded Armenia, where he defeated the Byzantines under Justinian. Later, Tamkhusro and Adarmahan
Adarmahan
Adarmahān was a Persian general active in the western frontier of the Sassanid Persian Empire against the East Roman forces, during the Roman–Persian War of 572–591.- Life :...
launched a major raid into the Byzantine province of Osroene
Osroene
Osroene, also spelled Osrohene and Osrhoene and sometimes known by the name of its capital city, Edessa , was a historic Syriac kingdom located in Mesopotamia, which enjoyed semi-autonomy to complete independence from the years of 132 BC to AD 244.It was a Syriac-speaking kingdom.Osroene, or...
. They threatened the town of Constantina, but withdrew when they received word of the approach of the Byzantine army under Justinian. Following these reversals, later in the same year, the Byzantine regent, Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
Tiberius, appointed Maurice
Maurice (emperor)
Maurice was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians...
as Justinian's successor.
Last years and court intrigues
Sophia (empress)
Aelia Sophia was the Empress consort of Justin II of the Byzantine Empire from 565 to 578. She was specifically interested in economic matters and was involved in financial matters during Justin's reign...
over the succession of her husband, Justin II
Justin II
Justin II was Byzantine Emperor from 565 to 578. He was the husband of Sophia, nephew of Justinian I and the late Empress Theodora, and was therefore a member of the Justinian Dynasty. His reign is marked by war with Persia and the loss of the greater part of Italy...
(r. 565–578), whose health was rapidly deteriorating. They intended to assassinate Justin's heir, the Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
Tiberius (ruled as Tiberius II in 578–582), and have Justinian ascend the throne. Tiberius however discovered the plot, whereupon Justinian pleaded for forgiveness and offered 1,500 pounds of gold as a sign of contrition. Soon however, between 579 and 581, Sophia and Justin were plotting again. This conspiracy too was uncovered, but Justinian was again pardoned. Justinian had a daughter and a son, who is likely identifiable with Germanus
Germanus (Caesar)
Germanus was a Caesar of the Byzantine Empire. He married Charito, a daughter of Tiberius II Constantine and Ino Anastasia.According to The Emperor Maurice and His Historian: Theophylact Simocatta on Persian and Balkan warfare by Michael Whitby, Germanus was a patrician and governor of the...
, who was married to Tiberius' daughter Charito and raised to the rank of Caesar. Justinian died at Constantinople in 582.