Emperor Justinian Research Paper

A very famous image of the political authority of the Middle Ages is of the mosaic of Emperor Justinian and his court. This court was located in the sanctuary of the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. This mosaic image is part of a larger program that is located in the chancel.
One of the major themes of this mosaic is the power and authority that Justinian held. It also applied to how his role played a part in the Christian timeline.
Emperor Justinian had two big ambitions in his reign. Since he was heir to the Roman Emperors he wanted to restore territorial boundaries. He also viewed himself as the Christian Emperor, and sought out to defend the faith. Justinian saw his role to bring about religious unification or Orthodoxy within

the Empire.
In the picture Justinian and his attendants we can find Emperor Justinian front and center of the picture.

Justinian is depicted as wearing a purple imperial robe with a crown, and is also haloed. He is surrounded on both sides by his clergy, and on his right is most important Bishop, Maximianus, who is labeled. To the right of Emperor Justinian are members of the imperial administration and to his left are a group of soldiers.
The picture Justinian and his attendants represents the central power that Justinian had. His power was divided between the church, the imperial administration, and the military. Following the steps of the Roman Emperors Justinian held power over religious, administrative, and military authority.
In the picture we can see that the clergy and Justinian passing from left to right some objects. A censer, the gospel book, the cross, and last but not least the bowl for the bread of Eucharist. This action gives the identity to the image as the so-called Little Entrance. Having this knowledge lets us mark the beginning of the Byzantine liturgy of the Eucharist.
Justinian’s position of carrying the bowl with the bread of Eucharist can be seen as a tribute. This tribute or nod is to the True King who appears in the neighboring apse

mosaic.
In this image Jesus Christ is clothed in imperial purple and is sitting on an orb. This orb signifies universal domination. Christ is seen offering the crown of martyrdom to St. Vitale. This gesture though can also be seen as Christ offering the crown to Justinian. Justinian plays the role of Christ’s vice-regent on earth, and Justinian’s army is literally the army of Christ, which is signified on the Chi-Ro shield.
While taking a closer look at Justinian and his attendants, one might notice a discrepancy with the positioning of Justinian and Maximianus. The overlapping which occurs with Justinian to Maximianus suggests that he is indeed closer or in front. A closer observation though shows that even with the overlap Maximianus’s feet are closer to the viewer. This discrepancy can be seen as the tension between the church and Emperor.