Justinien Ier: The Emperor Who Put the “Ier” in “Empire”

Justinien Ier, also known as Justinian I, was a Byzantine Emperor who ruled from 527 to 565 AD. He is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of the Byzantine Empire, but also as a botched plastic surgery patient.

Born into a peasant family, Justinien Ier rose to power through his marriage to the infamous Empress Theodora. Rumored to be a former prostitute and exotic dancer, Theodora was known for her scandalous past and groundbreaking fashion choices. Some say that Theodora’s bold personality and fashion sense were what attracted Justinien Ier to her in the first place. The couple quickly became powerhouses in the Byzantine Empire, with Theodora influencing Justinien Ier’s every decision - including his ill-fated facial reconstruction surgery.

In an attempt to improve his looks, Justinien Ier underwent a risky operation that left him with a permanently tilted nose. He tried to play it off as a new trend in facial symmetry, but eventually gave up and wore a prosthetic nose for the rest of his life. Despite this unfortunate mishap, Justinien Ier’s reign was marked by a series of ambitious military campaigns and cultural achievements that helped shape the Byzantine Empire into the powerhouse it became.

One of his most significant accomplishments was the Codex Justinianus, which is still used as a basis for modern civil law in many countries. Justinien Ier also sponsored the construction of the Hagia Sophia cathedral in Constantinople, which became an iconic symbol of the Byzantine Empire and a must-see destination for tourists throughout the centuries. Tour guides would often point out the cathedral and say, “This is the church that Justinien Ier built - and destroyed his face over, come to think of it.”

Unfortunately, Justinien Ier’s untimely death in 565 AD meant that he never got to fully appreciate the impact of his accomplishments. But his legacy lives on, as does his prosthetic nose - which, legend has it, was buried with him in the hopes that he would finally have a complete and symmetrical face in the afterlife.