From: Subject: Justinian the Great, Emperor and Saint Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:00:08 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.roca.org/OA/42/42m.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 Justinian the Great, Emperor and Saint

Orthodox=20 America

  Justinian the Great, Emperor and Saint =

by Asterios Gerostergios;  Institute for Byzantine and = Modern Greek=20 Studies;  1982;  313 pps, illustrated;  paper.

Reviewed by  Fr. Alexey = Young=20

           =20 For such a long time it has been the norm for writers and = scholars to=20 speak of Byzantium and her Emperors in lurid terms.  We in the West have even made = up a whole=20 mythology about that great Orthodox Christian civilization, from which = we=20 readily borrow when we want to describe something contemptible.  Thus we speak of politics as = =93seething=20 with Byzantine = intrigue.=94  Without even knowing what = Byzantium was,=20 the common man will now routinely tell you that that era must have been = a=20 =93frighteningly dishonest and corrupt=94 time in which to live.

           =20 A disconcerting twist to this inaccurate portrayal is typified in = a=20 comment a Roman Catholic seminarian recently made to me:  =93In my view,=94 he said, = =93Constantine was=20 the kiss of death for Christianity.=94

           =20 Fortunately there seem now to be a few voices raised here and = there in=20 protest to this distorted treatment of Byzantium.  Many rejoiced at the splendid = cover=20 article on Byzantium in the December =9283 =93National Geographic=94 =96 = a piece which=20 went some way towards undoing many of the popular misconceptions.

           =20 Another contribution is Justinian=20 the Great, the Emperor and Saint, by Fr. Asterios Gerostergios.  Since it was under St. = Justinian that=20 Byzantine civilization reached its climax, and since the Orthodox Church = honors=20 this emperor (and his wife, the wonderful Theodora) as saints, it is = fitting to=20 have a book (more a =93study=94 than a biography) which examines the = spirituality of=20 a great man and his great Christian civilization.  Fr. George Florovsky in his = essay,=20 =93Christianity and Civilization,=94 says that Justinian=92s reign = =93was the time when=20 a Christian culture was conscientiously and deliberately being built and = completed as a system=85.The magnificent Temple of Holy Wisdom, the = great church=20 of Sophia in Constantinople, will ever stand as a living symbol of this=20 achievement.=94  Fr. = Gerostergios=92=20 book will help the reader to see for himself the glories of Byzantine = culture, a=20 culture which was nothing less than the culture of Orthodox Christianity = herself.

           =20 Divided into six major areas of concentration, the author first = examines=20 the Emperor in the context of his times =96 both politically and = religiously; then=20 he looks at Justinian as an author and theologian, evaluates his = relationship=20 with non-Christians and heretics, and finally examines his relationship = to the=20 Orthodox Church.

           =20 The author says, =93Justinian was a faithful and devoted member = of the=20 Orthodox Church and worked not only to protect its dogmatic teachings, = but also=20 to elevate the spiritual and moral stature of its = representatives.=94  Therefore the writer speaks = much of=20 Justinian=92s =93philanthropic-constructive works, which in our opinion = are a pure=20 fruit of his Christian faith and an embodiment of the great commandment = of=20 Christ to love one=92s neighbor.=94

           &nbs= p;           =20 O Only-begotten Son and Word of = God,
           =              = Thou Who are Immortal, yet didst deign
           =              = for our salvation to be incarnate through
                        = the=20 most holy Lady and Ever-Virgin
         = ;            =   =20 Mary, and without change didst = become=20
         = ;            =   =20 Man and wast crucified, trampling = upon=20
         = ;            =   =20 death by death, do Thou, O Christ = our=20
         = ;            =   =20 God, Who are one of the Holy = Trinity=20 and
         = ;            =   =20 art glorified, together with the=20 Father
         = ;            =   =20 and the Holy Spirit, save = us.=20

 (A hymn composed by the Emperor Justinian = the Great, contained in the Divine = Liturgy)

            =20 The book is fascinating.  = The=20 reader will be rewarded by many glimpses into the heart and mind of a = great=20 follower of Christ, who was also an Emperor, and who used the throne = primarily=20 for the benefit of his people and the glory of God.  Fr. Gerostergios shows us a = warm, deeply=20 Orthodox personality, thoroughly penetrated by the piety of the = Church:  =93Astonishment is provoked in = us by the=20 endurance of Justinian through long hours of hard mental work and = personal=20 deprivations.  Within his=20 magnificent palace, he lived almost as a hermit.  A few hours of sleep were = sufficient for=20 the relaxation of his tired body. =20 Because of this phenomenon, he was named =91nonsleeper.=92  He ate sparingly and worked = very=20 hard.=94  He was of a = =93magnanimous=94=20 and =93non-egotistical=94 temperament, and =93desired to be pious, and = to express his=20 piety through his actions.=94

           =20 No one can fail to enjoy and be edified by this fine book, = whether=20 historian, theologian, student or layman, and all should be urged to = make its=20 acquaintance.

Fr. Alexey Young

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