Question

How did Justinian unite the Byzantine empire? Select all that apply.

He adopted a uniform legal code for the empire.


He enacted an annual census to keep accurate records of his people and their properties.


He shared power with provincial governors and an elected council.


He instituted a large bureaucracy to administer his commands.


He reduced taxes to win favor among his citizens.

Answer 1

The best answers for this question would be the following:

He enacted an annual census to keep accurate records of his people and their properties.

He instituted a large bureaucracy to administer his commands.

And

He reduced taxes to win favor among his citizens.

Answer 2

How did Justinian unite the Byzantine Empire?

A. He adopted a uniform legal code for the empire.
D. He instituted a large bureaucracy to administer his commands.

Justinian established the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law), which codified and organized the system of laws for the empire. Previously, the empire had inherited three separate law code systems and various individual laws from previous eras. There were conflicting and outdated laws in the old systems, so Justinian established a commission to review all the laws and create a single, unified legal code.

As to bureaucracy, the Byzantine Empire inherited a complex system of bureaucracy and aristocracy from the Roman empire. As with the legal code, Justinian organized and revised the bureaucracy system to the advantage of his governance of the empire. He worked to streamline provincial bureaucracies in a way that gave more control to the emperor at the center of the governmental system.

[A note on taxes: Taxes were high under Justinian, and resentment over high taxes was part of the Nika riots that took place in 532 AD.]