Lex Fridman · Sex in the Roman Empire | Anthony Kaldellis and Lex Fridman

1. 1. Justinian married Theodora, a former sex worker, which was controversial and required a law change allowing senators to marry disreputable women.
2. 2. Justinian valued talent over social class, surrounding himself with a motley group of disreputable but capable people.
3. 3. Justinian commissioned the Corpus Juris Civilis, a massive codification of Roman law that remains the primary source for Roman legal studies today.
4. 4. Justinian believed homosexuality caused earthquakes and punished it brutally, sometimes lethally, but enforcement was not systematic.
5. 5. Justinian's laws on sexuality were harsh on adultery and deviance, yet he married a former sex worker, highlighting a personal contradiction.