Chapter 28 Flashcards
What happened on April 1st 527?
The date of Justinians coronation as co emperor of Byzantium.
Who is Caleb?
The Christian king of Axum, backed by Justin and
Justinian.
What was the code of 529
The result of a committee appointed by Justinian in 528 was the creation of a unified legal code that organized the confusing and contradictory laws into a clear and coherent system.
Who was Dhu Nuwas?
The king of Himyar.
Define Himyar?
an Arabian kingdom, converted to Judaism and proclaimed it as the state religion, leading to the massacre of many Christians in the region.
Who were the Ghassanids?
originally nomadic tribes from southern Arabia.
Define Mecca?
An Arabian city located between Himyar and the Mediterranean Sea, home to the Ka’aba, the greatest shrine to traditional Arabian deities. The shrine housed the Black Stone, which tribes came to worship, and war was banned within twenty miles of it.
Define Najran.
An oasis city at the intersection of caravan routes from Syria and Persia, and it was home to wealthy aristocrats.
Who is Theodora?
a former actress and prostitute who was also a monophysite, became Justinian’s love and later his wife, serving as empress of his kingdom.
What threats did Dhu Nuwas see facing his
kingdom?
-The Persians, along with the Lakhmids, were dominating nearby tribes with their resources.
-Byzantium aimed to expand into Arabia with the support of allied kings.
Who did Dhu Nuwas target as enemies of his state after his conversion to Judaism?
Byzantine, Axumite Christian, ans aristocratic Himyarites because Christianity had spread among them in the Himyar kingdom.
What was the source of hostility between the Persians and the people of Byzantium that came about when Justin became emperor?
When Justin became emperor after Anastasius, he chose not to pay the Persians, which angered Kavadh I. In response, Kavadh sent an army of Lakhmid mercenaries to attack the Byzantine borders.
What happened to the Himyarite kingdom after Dhu Nuwas’s massacre of the Christians of Najran?
After Dhu Nuwas massacred the Christians in Najran, the news reached Justin and Justinian, who sent troops to fight the Himyarites. Caleb led the forces and defeated Dhu Nuwas in battle.
How did Theodora end up working as an actress, and then end up in the company of
an informant for Justinian’s secret police?
Theodora’s father was a bear trainer for the Greens during chariot races, but he died, leaving her mother to raise three young girls alone. To survive, their mother had the girls perform for the Blues, leading to prostitution. By the time Theodora reached puberty, she had spent years in a brothel. When she converted to Christianity, she had to give up her way of life.
What obstacles did Theodora and Justinian have to overcome before they could be
married?
Theodora and Justinian couldn’t marry immediately due to a law from Constantine that prohibited consuls from marrying actresses. Additionally, Justin’s wife, Euphemia, opposed the marriage because Theodora was a monophysite.
What caused the shutdown of the academy at Athens? Where did the faculty go?
Justinian shut down the Academy at Athens in 529, banning the teaching of old Greek and Roman religions in public. The faculty then emigrated to Persia, intending never to return to Byzantium.
