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the decrees of the Council. But
under pressure he later signs a
formal statement (February 554)
giving pontifical approbation to the
Councirs verdict.
In return. Justinian grants Vigil–
ius an imperial document known as
the Pragmatic Sanction and per–
mits him to return from Constanti–
nople to Rome. Vigilius d ies on the
way back. A new Pope. Pelagius, is
e lected - wi th Justinian's insis–
tence.
Justinian's Pragmatic Sanction
confi rms and increases the Papacy's
temporal power, and gives guide–
lines for regulating c ivi l and eccle–
siastical affairs in Rome and ltaly.
lt
is issued on August
13,
554. The
year 554 wi ll become a decisive
date in history for yet another rea–
son-the result of events in the
military arena.
For the moment, t he Papacy is
under the Eastern Em peror's
tbumb. But it is not destined to
remain so.
Ultimately, Justinian's efforts
in the religious sphere prove fruit–
less. At his death, the Empire will
s till be badly divided in its rel i–
gious belief. The unhealed wounds
of religious strife between the
churches of East and West will
cont inue to fester-coming to a
head, as we shall see, in the Great
Schism of
1
054.
Barbarians Smashed
While t he aforementioned eccle–
siastical maneuverings are under–
way, even ts a re moving swiftly
ahead in the política) sphere.
The pe rsecuted Cat ho lics in
North Africa appeal to Justinian to
send troops against their Arian
Vandal oppressors. This sparks the
short-lived Vandalic Wars.
Justinian sends Belisarius- the
greatest general of his age-to do
tbe job. In 533-34, imperial armies
move against the Yandals. Belisar–
ius makes short work of the barbar–
ians. He receives the submission of
tbe Yandal king Gelimer, and
North Africa is reincorporated into
the Empire.
Phase Two of Justinian's Grand
Design follows immediately: t he
military reconquest of ltaly, the
heart and mother province of the
Westero Empire.
The Ostrogoths have played into
36
Just ini an's hands. In his latter
years, Theodoric had begun to per–
secute the Catholic ltalians. Fol–
lowi ng his death, Ostrogothic
cruelty toward non-Arians intensi–
fies. ltalians look for a deliverer to
uproot Arianism.
J ustinian now has an excuse for
invading ltaly. He sees himself as
God's agent in destroying the bar–
barían heretics and winn ing back
the lost provinces of t he West. lf he
succeeds in toppling the barbarían
usurper from t he Western throne,
his dream of restoring the Roman
Empire will become reality!
ltaly Regained
In
535,
Belisarius- fresh from vic–
tory in North Africa-arrives in
Italy to take on the Ostrogoths. T ta–
ly is plunged into war. The fighting
will continu e for nearly two
decades.
In
540,
Belisarius captures Ra–
venna and announces the end of the
war. But the Goths soon regroup
under a new king, Totila, and again
take the offensive. City after city
falls to Totila, including Rome in
546. (Totila holds the last chariot
races in Rome's Circus Maximus in
549.)
In 549, Belisarius is recalled to
Constantinople. [n
552,
Justinian
sends a strong force against Totila
under the command of General
Narses. Totila is defeated and
mortally wounded in t he summer
of
552.
H is body is p laced at the
feet of Justinian in Constantino–
pie.
By 554, the Got hic hold is com–
pletely broken. The reconquest of
the península is complete.
I ta/y
is
regained!
Italy is now firmly in Justinian's
hands. His Pragmatic Sanction of
554 (mentioned previously) offi–
cially restores the ltalian lands tak–
en by the Ostrogoths. ltaly is again
an integral part of the Empire.
Three barbarían Arian king–
doms have been uprooted and
swept away! The deadly wound of
A.D. 476 is healed! The ancient
R oman Empire is
revived–
restored under t he scepter of J us–
tinian. Both .. legs" of t h e
Empire- East and West- are
now under his personal control.
History wi ll memorialize his
great acbievement as the " Imperial
Restoration."
lt
is a milestone in
the story of mankind.
Heir of the Caesars
Many ter ritories have been re–
gai ned. During his reign, J ustinian
has
doubled
the Empire's extent!
The great Emperor dies on
November 14, 565. He has lived 83
years and reigned 38.
At his death, his restoration is
ready to crumble. The resources of
the Empire are not sufficient to
maintain those territories that have
been recovered.
The treasury is empty. The army
is scattered and ill paid. Within a
century after his death, the Empire
will have lost more territory than
Justinian had gained!
Ju.st three years after his death,
the Longobardi, or Lombards- a
Germanic tribe--invade and con–
quer half of [taly. Again the East–
ern Empire is d eprived of the
greater portian of the Italian penín–
sula.
The continuing threat of the
Empire's traditional enemy to the
east- Persia- furtber saps Byzan–
tium's strength. And soon, the
forces unleashed by Mohammed in
Arabia will introduce yet another
peril. In the meantime, the Roman
court of the East will lose much of
its Western character.
For these and other reasons, the
focus of events will now shift to the
West. As the Eastern Empire
founders, Papal Rome will turn its
eyes toward Western Europe,
where the powerful Frankish king–
dom is on the rise. Subsequent
revivals of the ancient Roman
Empire will surface in France, Ger–
many and Austria. The center will
shift away from the Mediterranean
to the
heart oF
Europe.
But Justinian's efforts are not to
be s lighted. His reign has signaled
a rebirth of imperial greatness. He
has been a true Roman emperor, an
heir of the Roman Caesars!
Much of what will be envisioned
and accomplished by later conquer–
ors who build upon the ruins of the
Roman Empire will be owed to the
memory of the Grand Design of
Justinian.
The historical consequences will
be major.
(N EXT MON TH : "Charle–
magne--and the New Europe. ")
The PLAIN TRUTH