520 – 530s

Events in the 520s 1

• 527 – 565 Justinian I and the great reconquest Justinian I rules 527-565, reconquering North Africa, Italy and southern Spain, building Hagia Sophia, codifying Roman law in the Corpus Juris Civilis, and steering the empire through the catastrophic Plague of Justinian. His reign is the apex of Byzantine power and the last attempt to reunite the Roman world.