An Unlikely Imperial City in the Balkans

Even by Serbian standards, the location was remarkably remote—a narrow plateau flanked by steep river valleys formed by two small streams. Since ancient times, travel through this part of the Balkans relied on two major routes: the Morava-Vardar corridor and the path from ancient Naissus (modern Niš) to Scupi (modern Skopje). Neither passed through this plateau. When Pannonian Goths journeyed south into Eastern Roman territory, they took these established roads. The plateau’s climate and soil could sustain some agriculture but never supported a dense population.

Despite these limitations, Constantinople’s authorities constructed a grand new city here in the mid-6th century, less than a decade after Theodoric’s death in Ravenna. Ongoing excavations by a Franco-Serbian team have revealed extraordinary findings. At the plateau’s northwestern edge stood the city’s final stronghold—an acropolis surrounded by massive, irregular walls dotted with five imposing towers and a single gate. Inside lay a sprawling ecclesiastical complex (a basilica, baptistery, and assembly hall) facing an equally grand secular administrative center across a colonnaded square. Beyond these walls, an upper city of about five hectares contained more churches, arcaded streets, a massive granary, luxurious residences, and advanced hydraulic infrastructure, including a water tower essential for survival in this arid region. Further outside the walls, the lower city covered three hectares, with additional churches, a large cistern, and two bathhouses.

This monumental construction was not driven by economic, administrative, religious, or strategic necessity. Instead, it was built for one purpose: to honor the birthplace of Emperor Justinian I, nephew of Justin I. The city, Justiniana Prima (modern Caricingrad, meaning “Tsaritsa’s City”), was a testament to imperial vanity—a grand memorial to an emperor’s humble origins, even if he was not actually born on this plateau.

Justinian’s Vision and the Reshaping of the Balkans

In 535, Justinian issued a law declaring his intention to move the capital of the Illyricum prefecture (governing the western Balkans and Greece) from Thessalonica to Justiniana Prima. The city’s bishop was elevated to metropolitan status, overseeing the northern Balkans. This decision reflected Justinian’s ambition to reshape imperial administration in his own image.

Justinian remains one of the most fascinating figures in Roman history. Rising to power in 527, shortly after Theodoric’s death, he is often seen as the last emperor who genuinely sought to restore Rome’s ancient glory. His reign was marked by two monumental achievements: the reconquest of lost western provinces and the complete overhaul of Roman law. Yet, by the time of his death in 565, the empire was financially exhausted, militarily overstretched, and politically unstable. His legacy, like that of many ambitious rulers, was a mix of triumph and tragedy.

The Contradictions of Procopius

Our understanding of Justinian’s reign is heavily shaped by Procopius of Caesarea, a lawyer and historian whose works present starkly contradictory portraits of the emperor. His Wars of Justinian (covering 527–553) is a detailed military history, while Buildings lavishly praises Justinian’s architectural projects. But his most infamous work, Secret History, paints the emperor and his wife Theodora as monstrous figures—Justinian as a demonic tyrant and Theodora as a former actress and courtesan of insatiable appetites.

Scholars debate whether Secret History was genuine political critique or biting satire. Its lurid anecdotes (such as Theodora’s infamous performance with geese) suggest a deliberate attempt to undermine imperial propaganda. Procopius, once an admirer of Justinian’s early victories, grew disillusioned, and his writings reflect the empire’s deepening crises.

The Legal Revolution: The Corpus Juris Civilis

Justinian’s most enduring legacy was his legal reform. In 528, just months after his accession, he launched an ambitious project to codify Roman law. The result, the Corpus Juris Civilis, comprised:
1. The Codex Justinianus (529, revised 534) – A compilation of imperial decrees.
2. The Digest (Pandects) (533) – A condensed version of centuries of juristic writings.
3. The Institutes (533) – A textbook for legal education.

This monumental work preserved Roman legal thought for medieval Europe and beyond. Yet its creation was rushed—contradictions and repetitions were glossed over, and political deals were struck to ensure its completion. The legal reform was as much about consolidating Justinian’s power as it was about justice.

The Nika Riots: A Reign on the Brink

Justinian’s early reign nearly collapsed during the Nika riots of 532. What began as protests over chariot racing factions (the Blues and Greens) escalated into a full-scale rebellion when the crowd, chanting “Nika!” (Victory!), stormed prisons, burned buildings (including the original Hagia Sophia), and proclaimed a rival emperor.

Facing overthrow, Justinian prepared to flee until Theodora famously declared, “Purple makes a fine shroud.” The emperor instead unleashed his generals Belisarius and Mundus, who massacred 30,000 rioters in the Hippodrome. The brutal suppression secured Justinian’s throne but left Constantinople scarred.

The African Gamble: Conquest of the Vandals

Desperate for a victory to restore his prestige, Justinian turned to North Africa in 533. The Vandal kingdom, weakened by internal strife, fell shockingly quickly to Belisarius’ forces. Within months, Carthage was captured, and the Vandal king Gelimer surrendered. This unexpected triumph reinvigorated Justinian’s regime and set the stage for his next ambition: the reconquest of Italy.

Legacy: Grandeur and Overreach

Justinian’s reign was a paradox. He rebuilt Constantinople (including the Hagia Sophia), restored Roman rule in Africa and Italy, and left a legal legacy that shaped Europe for centuries. Yet his wars drained the treasury, and his successors inherited an overextended empire vulnerable to Persian and later Arab invasions.

Justiniana Prima, his vanity project in the Balkans, was abandoned within decades. The city’s ruins stand as a metaphor for Justinian’s empire—grand in vision, fragile in reality. His reign was a last, magnificent flare of Roman imperial ambition before the long twilight of the Byzantine era.

### Why Justinian Still Matters Today

Justinian’s legal codes influenced European law well into the modern era. His architectural achievements, particularly the Hagia Sophia, remain iconic. Yet his story also serves as a cautionary tale about the costs of overreach—a lesson relevant to empires ancient and modern.

From the forgotten plateau of Justiniana Prima to the chaos of the Nika riots, Justinian’s reign reminds us that even the most powerful rulers are shaped by their ambitions—and their limits.