Justin II
Justin II was the Byzantine emperor from 565 to 578, the nephew and successor of Justinian I, whose ambitious reversals of his predecessor's cautious diplomacy proved catastrophic for the empire. He stopped the expensive tribute payments to the Avars and Persians, intending to demonstrate imperial strength. Both decisions backfired severely. The suspension of Persian tribute led to the outbreak of a devastating war with the Sassanid Empire in 572. The major fortress city of Dara fell to the Persians in 573, a blow so severe that it reportedly drove Justin II to madness. Contemporary sources describe him wheeling around the palace in a cart, biting his attendants. His empress Sophia and the general Tiberius effectively took over government from 574 onward. The Lombard invasion of Italy in 568, which overran much of the peninsula that Justinian had reconquered at enormous cost, was perhaps the most enduring catastrophe of Justin's reign.
- Lived: 520 CE – 578 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state
