Byzantine Empire · 527-565

Justinian and Theodora

A peasant's nephew and a former actress rule the Eastern Roman Empire together. Students follow their law code, their wars to win back the West and the riot of 532 that almost ended their reign.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
12–15
On the map
3 steps, AD 527 to AD 537
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

A peasant's nephew and a former actress rule the Eastern Roman Empire together. Students follow their law code, their wars to win back the West and the riot of 532 that almost ended their reign.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Describe how far the Eastern Roman Empire reached at the end of Justinian's reign, using the map.
  • Explain what the Corpus Juris Civilis was and why it still matters for law today.
  • Evaluate the role of Theodora during the Nika riots of 532.
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 527

An empire in the East

Open the map in 527, the year Justinian became emperor. Find the Eastern Roman Empire. Which lands around the Mediterranean does it not hold?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 565

Winning back the West

Move the slider to 565, the year Justinian died. Which parts of Italy, North Africa and Spain are Roman again? Which part of Italy has already been lost to the Lombards?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 537

The capital

Zoom in on Constantinople in 537 and turn on Historical Events. Find the Construction of Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. Why build so much in years of costly war?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Justinian came from a peasant family and Theodora had been an actress. What does their rise tell us about the empire?
  2. Justinian's lawyers gathered centuries of Roman law into one collection. Why is a written, shared law useful?
  3. During the Nika riots, Theodora is said to have refused to flee. Should a ruler stay or escape in a crisis?
  4. The war in Italy lasted about 20 years and left the land poor. Was the reconquest worth it?
  5. Three years after Justinian died, the Lombards invaded Italy. What does that say about his conquests?
4

Game round

10 min

Play Rule History as Justinian I. Let students decide on wars, buildings and law. Afterwards, compare their choices with what Justinian really did, and ask: what would Theodora have advised?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.