The next volume in the series is dedicated to Emperor Justinian I, who ruled the Byzantine Empire in the middle of the 6th century. The author, in a fascinating, partly fictionalized form, tells about the works and achievements of one of the most remarkable rulers in the history of the early Middle Ages. The builder of Hagia Sophia, the creator of the code of laws that laid the foundations for all European legislation, at the cost of incredible effort, he managed to restore the former power of the Roman Empire, placing Italy, part of Spain, and North Africa under the rule of Constantinople. As the author shows, the life of Justinian is a vivid example of how an energetic, efficient and gifted person creates the history of the world. The book presents a condensed outline of the history of the Byzantine Empire before Justinian, shows many features of the life of the Byzantines, gives vivid portraits of the emperor’s contemporaries - his wife Theodora, who managed rise to the heights of power from the very bottom of society; the brilliant commander Belisarius; historian Procopius of Caesarea, filled with secret hatred of the imperial couple, as well as many others.