Empress Theodora, his wife, ruled with him until her death in 548. Justinian built Constantinople into a glorious city of domed churches, palaces, and public arenas. By the end of his reign, the city was surrounded by a 12 mile border of walls. Inside, spacious streets were lined with buildings of marble and alabaster. Goods from around the world filled the shops: silk, purple cloth, and gold from Greece; spices, drugs, and precious stones from India. The greatest of the public buildings was the Hippodrome, an arena that could seat over 40,000 people. Byzantines gathered there to sit and watch chariot races, jugglers, circus acts, and fights between wild animals. In a city of churches, the most magnificent was St. Sophia Cathedral. Also known as Hagia Sophia, or the church of Holy Wisdom. It was completed by Justinian in 537. It is an enormous building, shaped like across, with a dome reaching 180 feet from the ground. It has a beautiful interior of colored marble, gold, silver, and mosaics. Justinian contributed more then just a wonderful city. He is also known for the Justinian Code, a collection of Roman laws from the time of the 2nd century. This code was composed in 529. The code listed all valid edicts of the time and set the legal basis for the absolute and God-given authority of an emperor over his subjects. These laws had an impact on France, Germany, Italy, Russian, and Serbia. Trade thrived during Justinian's reign, and Byzantine art and architecture flourished. But the empire's funds were used up by the high cost of the wars and improvements that took place under Justinian. As a result, the empire was bankrupt when he died in 565. The period from about 641 and 1025 is considered to be the golden age of the Byzantine Empire. Advances in military strength, religious influence, and the arts made the Byzantines one of the most powerful forces in the world of the Middle Ages. Byzantine art if the Eastern Christian art that flourished during the time of the Byzantine Empire.
