510-529 Eastern Emperor Justinian Builds Hagia Sofia

In this 20 year period, Justin's nephew Justinian became Eastern Emperor in 518 and he adorned Constantinople with the largest church ever built -- the fabulous Hagia Sofia (pictured).

Justinian had a long period in power, from 518 to 565. He suppressed Paganism in Athens and tried to recover the west from the Germans.

He overthrew the Vandals in Africa and established an enclave in Spain, but his efforts were in vain as the Greeks were disliked and the cost was prohibitive.

550-569 Hungarian Lombards Seize Milan & Po Valley

In this twenty year period, the eastern emperor Justinian (pictured) was succeeded in 565 by Maurice who was faced with the invasion of Italy by a Germanic tribe known as the the Lombards or Longobards (Longbeards).

Previously, in 553 Justinian had defeated the Visigoths in Italy and the Germanic-supported Arian kingdoms of Italy and Africa returned to imperial rule -- only Visigoth Spain held out.

The Lombards were a Germanic arian tribe that had fought with the Romans as mercenaries. In their Lombard homeland of Pannonia (Hungary) they had established amicable relations with the Byzantines due to the guidance and leadership of a former Lombard King Wacho (c. 510-540).

When Pannonia was threatened by another Germanic tribe, the Avars, they remembered their tours of duty in Italy as well as the agricultural wealth that lay within the Po River Valley, and decided to migrate to Italy in 568.

They called it a migration, but the Italians called it an invasion.

Lead by King Alboin, many other Germanic tribes joined the Lombards in the march to the Po River Valley -- the Gepids, Sarmatians, Hunnic Bulgars, Saxons, Bavarians, and Taifali.

Once inside Italy, Alboin seized Aquileia and within a year, the Lombards ruled Milan as well as a large portion of the Po Valley.

530-549 Justinian Attempts to Overthrow Goths in Rome

In my first twenty years Justinian was the eastern emperor. He was married to the Empress Theodora, (pictured), a former prostitute, who died in 548.

Famous for building the Church of Hagia Sofia in Constantinople, Justinian invaded Italy and by 540 he had moved the Ostrogoths out of Rome and Ravenna, but rather than recreating Rome's greatness he ruthlessly oppressed the Romans and enforced doctrinal orthodoxy.

His luck run out. In 542 there was an outbreak of bubonic plague and the Ostrogoths, under their new King Totila, regained rule in Italy and in 548 his beloved Theodora died.