The Age of Justinian examines the reign of the great emperor Justinian (527-565) and his wife Theodora, who advanced from the theatre to the throne. The origins of the irrevocable split between East and West, between the Byzantine and the Persian Empire are chronicled, which continue up to the present day. The book looks at the social structure of sixth century Byzantium, and the neighbours that surrounded the empire. It also deals with Justinian's wars, which restored Italy, Africa and a part of Spain to the empire.

The Age of Justinian and Theodora is the story of the first notable husband-and-wife partnership in modern history and an indispensable reference on the history of sixth century Byzantium. Each chapter introduces a record of events as well as a presentment of the people amongst whom and of the stages upon which those events occurred. This detailed account is the first to contain the complete life and deeds of Justinian and his empress, Theodora. The author also presents a unique correlation of science and progress put in perspective with the ancient and modern world. The first volume depicts life in Constantinople in the sixth century, including political, religious, and educational life under the rule of Anastasius and moves on to describe the rise of Justinian to the Byzantine throne, while giving a depiction of Theodora's alleged notorious pre-imperial career. However, the text goes beyond this to outline the role of women and daily life in general. The Second volume is a detailed account of Justinian's accomplishments and his weaknesses, including his wars with Persia, the architectural marvel of St Sophia, his legislative achievements, his failure as a ruler leading to rebellion, and the religious intrigues that plagued his reign. The volume ends with the final days of the emperor and his efforts to make his legacy known to the world.

The Age of Justinian and Theodora is a two-volume historical work written by British historian William Gordon Holmes and it presents a historical account of Byzantine Empire in 6th century A. D. Justinian the Great was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565 and his wife Theodora was very influential in the politics of the Empire. Justinian's reign is marked by the ambitious project known as the restoration of the Empire. A still more resonant aspect of his legacy was the uniform rewriting of Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still the basis of civil law in many modern states. His reign also marked a blossoming of Byzantine culture, and his building program yielded works such as the Hagia Sophia.

The story of the peasant's son who became an emperor and the dissolute actress who resided beside him on the throne is one of the greatest and most controversial romances of history. United, they presided over a key epoch in the formation of Europe.

Reproduction of the original.