ABSTRACT
Justinian, emperor for 38 years and, according to Prokopios, the effective ruler for an extra nine years during his uncle's reign, is among the more famous of Byzantine emperors for his achievements, which include building Hagia Sophia, codifying Roman Law, closing Plato's Academy and restoring the Western Roman Empire. Yet, apart from the building of Hagia Sophia, these achievements get scant treatment in Byzantine chronicles. A feature of all history writing is for authors to stress the truth of their account. Byzantine historians are no exception. As Alexander Kazhdan pointed out, "The Byzantines were capable of understanding the political implications of propaganda, although concealed usually between very vague expressions and images. They were capable as well of counter-propaganda, of the reinterpretation of imperial symbols and words, of imposing over them a perverse meaning". In all Byzantine historiography, writers recognize that particular stories from history are known and demanded by audiences.
