Justinian I, known to history as Justinian the Great, ruled as the Byzantine emperor from 527 until his death in 565. His reign is marked by a series of ambitious efforts to revive the grandeur of the Roman Empire, although many of these goals were only partially realized. This vision, known as the renovatio imperii or 'reinstatement of the Empire,' encapsulated his drive to restore Roman territories lost to barbarian invasions and to reassert imperial authority across the Mediterranean world.

One of the most prominent aspects of Justinian's renovatio imperii was the partial reconquest of the western provinces of the fallen Roman Empire. His military campaigns, led by the brilliant general Belisarius, achieved remarkable successes. Belisarius swiftly captured the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa, establishing Byzantine control over the region. Shortly thereafter, he, along with other generals like Narses, waged a series of successful campaigns against the Ostrogoths in Italy, eventually reclaiming key territories such as Dalmatia, Sicily, Rome, and much of Italy. This marked the end of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, which had ruled for over fifty years. Additionally, under the leadership of the praetorian prefect Liberius, the Byzantines reasserted control over the Iberian Peninsula, establishing the province of Spania. These victories re-established Roman dominance in the western Mediterranean and brought in substantial annual revenues, estimated at over a million solidi.