John the Cappadocian was a prefect in the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian I. A prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficio, to make in front, i. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Justinian I depicted on one of the famous mosaics of the St. ...

John was appointed to lead the first commission on Justinian's new legal code, the Corpus Juris Civilis, and became Justinian's chief legal advisor. He was also appointed praetorian prefect, giving him the power to introduce new taxes on the population. The new taxes were very unpopular, and the mob involved in the Nika riots of 532 demanded that both John and the quaestor Tribonian be dismissed. Justinian did so, until the riots had been suppressed, after which he reinstated John as prefect and Tribonian as quaestor. Justinian I depicted on a mosaic in the church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy The Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law) is a fundamental work in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534 by order of Justinian I, Byzantine Emperor. ... Praetorian prefect (Latin Praefectus praetorio) was the constant title of a high office in the Roman state that changed fundamentally in nature. ... The Nika riots (Greek: Στάση του Νίκα), or Nika revolt, took place over the course of a week in Constantinople in 532. ... Events First year in which Anno Domini calendar is actually used for numbering (in Dionysius Exiguuss treatise) January 11 - Nika riots in Constantinople; the cathedral is destroyed. ... Quaestors were elected officials of the Roman Republic who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers. ... Tribonian (c. ...

After the riots, which had been supported by the upper-class Senators, John, who had the same lower-class background as Justinian, became even more important in political affairs. John influenced Justinian's military decisions, helping to draft the Perpetual Peace with Khosrau I of Persia and convincing Justinian not to empty the treasury with a large expedition to North Africa. John worked with the emperor to reduce the size of the bureaucracy, both in Constantinople and in the provinces, developing a rudimentary meritocracy. The Roman Senate (Latin, Senatus) was a deliberative body which was important in the government of both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. ... A coin of Khosrau I Silver bowl showing Khusrau I Anushirvan, of the righteous soul seated on his throne. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... Map of Constantinople. ... the suffix -cracy implies, meritocracy is strictly speaking a system of government based on rule by ability (merit) rather than by wealth or social position. ...

Justinian's wife Theodora resented the amount of power and influence held by John. In 541 Theodora accused him of treason and had him dismissed. The bureaucracy of the empire fell back into corruption under John's successors. Theodora, depicted on a Byzantine mosaic Empress Theodora (c. ... Events January 1 - Flavius Basilius Junior appointed as consul in Constantinople, the last person to hold this office January 2 - Earthquake strikes Laodicea. ... In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to ones nation. ...

A different John the Cappadocian was Patriarch from 518-520. See John of Cappadocia. Bishops of Byzantium (until 330) St. ... For the prefect under Justinian I, see John the Cappadocian. ...