Justinian I (Flavius Justinianus, 483–565 AD), Byzantine emperor of Illyrian descent from the village of Tauris in Dardania, passed away, near the Bederiana fortress. During his reign (527–565) the Byzantine Empire became more powerful. Justinian I tried to revive the former Roman Empire, conquered North Africa, Sicily, Italy and part of Spain. He codified Roman law. He undertook major construction works, especially to protect the borders of the empire in the north from barbarian attacks. He rebuilt old castles and built many new ones. In the Illyrian provinces of Dardania he rebuilt 61 castles and built 8 new ones, in Old Epirus he rebuilt 25, new 12, in New Epirus he rebuilt 26, new 32. The names of the castles mentioned in this case in the work of Procopius of Caesarea “On constructions” constitute an important source for Illyrian onomastics. (Pictured: Justinian I, detail of a mosaic in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna (Italy).)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1077.
Photograph: © https://www.britannica.com/biography/Justinian-I
Graphic processing: AHCF
