Emperor Justinian was both celebrated and castigated as the ‘sleepless’ emperor, who kept a tireless vigil and worked constantSo dedicated to his work was he that, according to at least one contemporary, the emperor could not even endure his bed, but would rise in the night to work even more. This, combined with the great length of his reign (38 years), encourages an image of an isolated ruler, an autocrat in deed as well as name.
In truth, however, Justinian worked very closely with several very powerful men and women over the course of his reign. These individuals were his closest advisors, his trusted confidants, and the officials that turned his policy ideas into reality. They helped him to reshape not just the Byzantine Empire but the entire sixth-century Mediterranean world. Of all his close compatriots in his long reign, none was nearer and dearer to his heart than his wife,
