Justinian I or Justinian the Greatis considered a saint amongst Eastern Orthodox Christians. He is sometimes called the "Last Roman" in popular historiography. Justinian's reign is marked by the ambitious but ultimately failed renovatio imperii, "restoration of the empire". His reign also marked a blossoming of Byzantine culture, and his building program yielded masterpieces such as the church of Hagia Sophia, which was to be the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
