Have you heard of Justinian I? Who is he? What have he done for him to be remembered? What significant role did his wife play in his success as an emperor of his time? What lesson can we learn from his life and his relationship with his wife? These, and maybe few others, are just some of the questions we would like to give light to as we look back at an event or a portion of the history which many of us have not heard of yet or may not have any interest to know about if not asked to do so.
For most of us, Justinian I is not known – his life, his contribution to history, his success as an emperor, and the like. He lived in a time that for us today is considered ancient. So, who is Justinian I then?
I. The “Best Ruler” of His Time
Flavius Anicius Julianus Justinianus, commonly known as Justinian I, was born about 483 at Tauresium (Taor) in Illyricum. He was the nephew of Justin I (518-27), being the son of Justin I's sister Vigilantia and a certain Sabatius. When his uncle died in August 527, Justinian I was left sole ruler.[1]
As a ruler, Justinian I’s motto was “One Empire, one law, one church” and among his achievements as an emperor are the following:[2]
(1) he reformed the Eastern church thus outlawed the clergy from watching the Circus which had gruesome and vulgar entertainment;
(2) he persecuted the enemies of God (pagans and Jews within his empire);
(3) he started the new style of construction called Byzantine architecture with the help of his engineers and among his famous works are the Hagia Sophia and the Church of Our Lady in Jerusalem;
(4) he was able to reclaim the territories that were lost to the barbarians and other enemies through his cunning generals;
(5) he embarked and completed the codification of the old Roman and Byzantine laws so that the law would be clear to all;
(6) he was considered a king and a priest during his reign; due to the influence of his Queen, Theodora, who was a Monophysite ( holds the belief that there is but one nature, the divine nature, in Christ), Justinian often forced the bishops and the councils to add theological phrases that potentially soften the differences between the orthodox church and the Monophysites.
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| The Hagia Sophia |
Justinian I was considered to be the “best ruler” of his time because of his achievements and the thirty-eight years of his reign as emperor are the most brilliant period of the later empire. [3] Why was it so? Was he just smarter and more hardworking than the other emperors of his time? What other factors contributed to his success?
II. The Woman Behind Justinian I’s Success
History has it that Justinian I’s wife, Theodora I, played a very significant, remarkable role in all the successes that Justinian I’s attained during his reign as emperor of Rome. Among the few remarks about Theodora I [4] are enumerated below:
(1) the Queen behind the King,
(2) was a strong supporter of her husband,
(3) all her projects added to Justinian I’s fame,
(4) the brain behind Justinian I’s leadership, and
(5) it was her courage and presence of mind that saved Justinian I’s throne at the time of the Circus revolution that nearly wrecked the state[5]
Having such a great influence in her husband’s success, few were said about Theodora I. Among the few information I have learned about her was about her shady past. According to historians, she was a former exotic dancer in the Roman circus, thus considered a woman of ill-repute.[6] Further, Fortescue asserts that “there is no doubt that she had led an immoral life before her marriage in 523.[7]
It would be a long story to tell how Justinian I ended up with a woman like Theodora I, but despite her shady past we cannot ignore the fact that she did a great job in supporting her husband which gave her the credit of being the “best wife,” maybe not of all times but probably amongst the other wives of the Roman emperors of their time.
III. So What?
Right! You might be asking now, “So what about all these history and recollection of other people’s lives? Why would I care to know about their lives or achievements?”
Like them, we are individuals who play different roles in our family, in our church, in our workplace, in our society; but in connection to Justinian I and Theodora I, I want to zero in at the importance of wives in terms of the success of their husbands - be it a career to pursue or a ministry to fulfil.
As a single woman, I may not be in the position yet to talk about this matter but one thing I realized, as I was confronted with fact that wives can influence either their husband’s success or failure, is that my role as a wife someday may make or break my future husband’s career or ministry. I now understand that I will not be given by God to him, whoever he will be, just to bear his children and do the household chores, but I am called to partner with him in fulfilling God’s agenda for his career/ministry and for our family as a whole (thinking about these things make me smile). If indeed I will marry someday, early as now I believe that being a wife is not an easy task to fulfil. So for single women like me, may it be clear to us that our role as wives someday is more than just keeping the house clean, raising up our kids, or cooking for our family; but more than that, we will be given by God to the man whom He had set for us to support and help him in his every endeavour. We must be someone who will help him become the best that he could be, not someone who will nag at him in order for us to get what we want or to have our decision followed.
For all the single men who are eyeing for a potential wife, especially those who are involved in fulltime ministry, may you realize that choosing your future wife is not like choosing the best suit you can wear and can display in public, but you must see to it that she is the person who can be your helpmate in fulfilling your calling. I have heard so many stories about men, not excluding pastors and ministry workers, who did not succeed in their chosen career/ministry because they have unsupportive, nagging wives or wives who do not have the same calling or passion as they have when it comes to ministry. Whether you are pursuing a career or working fulltime in ministry, your choice of a wife is a great factor for your failure or success someday so choose wisely and never belittle God’s part in this area of your life. God surely knows who the best woman is for you to take as your wife therefore, fervently seek His will and you surely will never end up bemoaning over a wrong choice.
To all husbands out there, have you ever realized how important the role of your wife to your success is? Have you ever thanked them enough for their sacrifices, both for you and your children? I asked some married men whom I know are great leaders and/or achievers in their chosen career or ministry to answer this question, “What significant role/s does your wife play in terms of your success?” and the following are their responses:- Husband A says that his wife is his (1) encourager, (2) shock absorber at times/co-carrier of burdens, (3) greatest fan/admirer, and (4) best friend.
- Husband B says that his wife (1) prays for him, (2) takes care of him really well, (3) supports his desires and decisions, (4) is committed in taking good care of their children, (5) helps him in the ministry, and (6) is patient with him.
- Husband C says that his wife is (1) loving, (2) understanding, (3) faithfully supportive in his ministry, and (4) obedient to God’s will.
- Husband D enthusiastically enumerated through our phone conversation that his wife is his critic at the end of every activity he does. The comments that he received from his wife helped him evaluate himself to see what needs to be improved next time. Whenever he does not hear any negative comments from his wife, that means he did well. His wife has been a great help for him also when it comes to understanding the natural behavioural responses of a person in any given circumstances, especially that of the opposite sex (this is in relation to ministry).
- Husband E says that, “My wife’s love and support helps me a lot in having confidence in my leadership and dealings with issues and people. She always believes the best in me.” (Ah, sweet!)
- Husband F gave a brief and precise answer when he said that his wife’s significant role in his success is her (1) partnership and (2) encouragement.
I may not be in the position to say this but allow me still to encourage or remind all husbands out there to ponder upon this thought: “Your wife is a gift from God. He gave her to you as your helpmate, not your slave or someone inferior to you. Love her just as Christ loves the church (Eph. 5:25) and never forget to appreciate her contribution to your success.”
To all the wives out there, let me cheer you up by this: “You are a gift from God to your husband. Never underestimate your role as a wife. You are given by God to your husband for a purpose that only you alone can fulfil.”
IV. Your Turn: Say it Out Loud
I think I have said so much, so this time I would like to hear from you also. Below are questions which I categorized as for a married man, a married woman, a single man, and a single woman. I personally believe that our own experiences, opinions, or thoughts can be valuable source of lessons that we can share to others for their good so please care to leave some of your precious ideas for others to learn from.
For a married man: How do you view the opinions or ideas of your wife? Do you consider her as a partner in every decision-making in your family and ministry/career or is she obliged to follow whatever your decision is?
For a married woman: How do you view your role as a wife? How significant do you think your opinions or ideas are to the success of your husband?
For a single man: What percentage will you give to each of the areas enumerated below when it comes to choosing your future wife? (Total score must be 100%. If you want, you can explain why you chose "__________" to be the highest and why "__________" the lowest)
* Character
* Spiritual maturity
* Educational attainment
* Family background
* Beauty/physical appearance (height, body figure, complexion)
For a single woman: How would you describe an ideal husband-wife relationship? What is your view about submission to husband?
Thank you for dropping by folks. Good day and God bless!
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[1]Adrian Fortescue, The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. VIII (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910), 1 (based on the given reading assignment in TS 601, S.Y. 2011-2012).
[2] Raymundo M. Go, “The Church in the East: The Byzantine Church AD 330 to 1453” (class notes, International Graduate School of Leadership, Quezon City, Philippines, Trimester 3, SY 2011-12).
[3] Adrian Fortescue, The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1.
[4] Taken from Professor Raymundo Go’s PowerPoint presentation on Theodora I during our class discussion last January 06, 2012.
[5] Fortescue, 3.
[6] Taken from Professor Raymundo Go’s PowerPoint presentation on Theodora I during our class discussion last January 06, 2012.
[7] Fortescue, 3.
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