Question

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many argue that without theodora emperor justinian would not have achieved greatness. sadly, the aid of his wife would be soon lost, as by 548 ad a terrible plague came through the empire, killing theodora and almost killing justinian. the plague wiped out large numbers of the empire’s population, leaving villages empty and crops unharvested. still, justinian kept the empire from collapse even with a weakened and split army.

“in our own age there has been born the emperor justinian, who, taking over the state when it was harassed by disorder, has not only made it greater in extent, but also much more illustrious, by expelling from it those barbarians who had from old pressed hard upon it.... justinian created countless cities which did not exist before. and finding that the belief in god was, before his time, straying into errors and being forced to go in many directions, he completely destroyed all the paths leading to such errors, and brought it about that it stood on the firm foundation of a single faith. moreover, finding the laws obscure because they had become far more numerous than they should be, and in obvious confusion because they disagreed with each other, he persevered them by cleansing them of the mass of their verbal trickery, and by controlling their discrepancies with the greatest firmness.” adapted from h.b. dewing, procopius, buildings (cambridge, ma: harvard university press, 1940)

justinian was dissembling, crafty, hypocritical, secretive or temperamental, two-faced; a clever fellow with a marvelous ability to conceal his real opinions, and able to shed tears, not from any joy or sorrow, but employing them artfully when required in accordance with the most immediate need, lying all the time; not carelessly, however, but confirming his undertakings both with his signature and with the most fearsome oaths, even when dealing with his own subjects.... justinian showed himself approachable and affable to those with whom he came in contact; not a single person found himself denied access to the emperor, and even those who broke the rules by the way they stood or spoke in his presence never incurred his wrath. that, however, did not make him blush when confronting those whom he intended to destroy. in fact, he never even gave a hint of anger or irritation to show how he felt towards those who had offended him; but with a friendly expression on his face and without raising an eyebrow, in a gentle voice he would order tens of thousands of quite innocent persons to be put to death, cities to be razed to the ground, and all their possessions to be confiscated for the treasury....

to her bodily needs, theodora devoted quite unnecessary attention, though never enough to satisfy herself. she was in a great hurry to get into her bath, and very unwilling to get out again. when she had finished her ablutions she would go now to breakfast, and after a light breakfast she would take a rest. but at lunch and supper, she indulged her taste for every kind of food and drink. again and again she would sleep for hours on end, by day till nightfall and by night until sunrise. and though she had strayed thus into every path of self-indulgence for so great a part of the day, she thought fit to run the whole of the roman empire! if the emperor entrusted any business to a man without first seeking her approval, such a change of fortune would come upon that man’s affairs that very soon after he would be removed from his position with the utmost ignominy, and die a most shameful death. adapted from procopius, secret history (translated by g.a. williamson (london: penguin, 1966).

1. which of the following best describes the first paragraph in the text above.

a. justinian was an easy-to-read man, often letting other get the better of him.
b. justinian was not very approachable and hard to speak with.
c. justinian was a master at hiding his true intentions from others.
d. justinian was always shown as a cowered who did very little when it came to being emperor.

1. which of the following might the author agree with, based off the second paragraph from the text above.

a. theodora was fat and had a hard time leaving her bath, often requiring servants to feed her.
b. theodora care very little for the empire.
c. justinian put a lot of trust in men rather than his wife.
d. justinian favored his wife’s opinion above man other.

byzantine families valued education and sent their children to monastic or public schools or hired private tutors. basic courses focused on greek and latin grammar, philosophy, and rhetoric. the classics of greek and roman literature served as textbooks. students memorized homer. they learned geometry from euclid, history from herodotus, and medicine from galen. the modern world owes byzantine scholars a huge debt for preserving many of the great works of greece and rome

constantinople remained rich and powerful for centuries. after justinian’s death in 565, however, the empire suffered countless setbacks. there were street riots, religious quarrels, palace intrigues, and foreign dangers. each time the empire moved to the edge of collapse, it found some way to revive—only to face another plague. this horrifying illness hit constantinople in the later years of justinian’s reign. the plague probably arrived from india on ships infested with rats. in 542, at its peak, it is estimated that 10,000 people were dying every day. the illness broke out every 8 to 12 years until around 700, when it finally faded out. by that time, it had destroyed a huge percentage of the byzantine population. the smaller population left the empire exposed to its enemies.

Explanation:

Question 3

• Option A: The first paragraph says Justinian kept the empire from collapse with a weak army, so he wasn't "easy - to - read" or letting others get the better of him. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The paragraph doesn't suggest he was unapproachable or hard to speak with. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The first paragraph shows Justinian's ability to handle the empire despite challenges, implying he could hide his true intentions (like managing a weak army effectively). This fits.
• Option D: He kept the empire from collapse, so he didn't do very little. Eliminate D.

• Option A: The second paragraph is about Theodora's influence on the empire, not her weight or needing servants to feed her. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The text says she ran the empire, so she cared about it. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The text says if the emperor entrusted business to a man without her approval, the man would be removed. So Justinian didn't trust men over his wife. Eliminate C.
• Option D: The text shows that Theodora's approval was needed for imperial business, so Justinian favored her opinion. This fits.

Answer:

C. Justinian was a master at hiding his true intentions from others.

Question 4