Welcome back to another episode of five minutes in church history. On this episode we are talking about a very dark moment in church history and history, the plague of Justinian the first.

First, let's talk about Justinian the First.

First, let's talk about Justinian the First.

He was born in 487.

He came to be Roman Emperor in 527,

and he reined until his death in 563. At the time of becoming Roman Emperor, the

barbarian tribes controlled much of what was the Roman Empire.

The Austregoths controlled Rome and the boot of Italy that extends down into the Mediterranean

Sea.

The Visigoths controlled Spain. the Vandals controlled what was formerly North Africa,

the Roman Empire was a fraction in a mere shadow of its former self.

Justinian ruled from the capital at Constantinople. He was

determined to bring back the glory that once was the Roman Empire.

To do so, he would need to launch military campaigns

to the east and to the Iberian Peninsula,

to the south and the vandals, to the west and the Austrogoths, and to the South and the Vandals to the West and the Austregoths and to the North.

He had to launch a military campaign literally in every direction.

And he was very successful after a decade or so of military campaigns in warfare.

Then in 542, Justin faced a new invisible enemy.

Well, we'll get to that in a moment.

First, a few more points on Justinian the first.

He is known as giving us the Codex Justinianus.

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