I, Caesar | Justinian: Last of the Romans (Episode 6)

Episode 6: He lived more than 500 years after Caesar. He ruled from Constantinople, not Rome. But Justinian restored the Empire to its former glory one last time. He sent his armies west, where they recaptured territory lost to Barbican invasions in the 5th century, reclaiming most of the empire. He is remembered as 'the last of the Romans'. Born a peasant, he became emperor of the Roman world. But it was an empire in decline. He spent his life trying to save it. And though he saw great victories, there were also terrible defeats. Some would call themselves emperor for another thousand years, but history remembers him as the "last of the Romans."

This episode explores the life and legacy Justinian, whose goal was to restore the glory of the ancient Roman Empire, and who nearly succeeded. Ancient accounts and dramatic re- enactments detail the campaigns that saw Italy, North Africa and Southern Spain restored to Roman rule, while experts reveal why the gains were doomed to be short lived. Justininan's vision of a centralized empire required the development of a uniform 'one state, one law, and one church' – formula. After Justinian's unsuccessful attempts to restore the Roman empire, what remained became decidedly Byzantine in aspect.