When the Barbarian Hordes breached the gates of Rome in 476 CE , many believed the Roman Empire had come to an end. The emperor Romulus had abdicated, and the city of Rome was conquered with the legions of the western empire scattered to the wind. But the Roman Empire was not quite finished. Under the rule of Justin the first the Eastern Roman Empire flourished with a new capital in Constantinople, and a new name, The Byzantine Empire. With his health failing, Justin would elevate his ward Justinian to Co-emperor of Byzantium in 527 CE, and with his Queen Theodora at his side, Justinian’s rule would have one goal: the rebirth of the Roman Empire. Whether paid in steel or gold, no price was too high for the Emperors of the Byzantine in the pursuit of their goal. On the field of battle, and on the senate floor none could stand in their way. Welcome, to Theodora’s Court