A comprehensive history of the sixth-century eastern Roman world reconstructs the political events, urban topography, and social life of Constantinople; assesses the imperial inheritance left by the preceding reign; and traces the origins and early careers of the emperor Justinian and his consort Theodora. Chapters address administrative, military, educational, legal, and religious developments, combining narrative with documentary analysis, maps, and sociological description. Throughout, the author situates institutional changes within broader cultural continuities and intellectual decline and renewal, aiming to present both a chronology of events and a portrait of the people and structures that shaped the era.