Justinian: Mercury, Paradiso 5-7   The emperor Justinian is another figure whose name matches his earthly reputation and his role in Dante's paradise. Iustiniano (Justinian), whose name suggests giustizia (justice), held an important place in the late medieval imagination not only as an illustrious bearer of the Roman empire's "sacred standard" (Par. 6.32) but also as one inspired by God to undertake a "high task" (6.23-4), the monumental codification of Roman law (Corpus Iuris Civilis) in the early sixth century. It is no coincidence that the notion of an essential relationship between words (names) and the things they describe appeared prominently in these legal works (and subsequent commentaries), which were standard texts in the European law schools of Dante's day. From Justinian's canto-length monologue on the flight of the Roman eagle through history, we learn that, like Dante's Ulysses, the emperor is a talented orator driven to worldly achievement by the desire for honor and fame. This combination of activity and motive is in fact characteristic of all the spirits who appear in Mercury (6.112-17). Dante also exploits the medieval legend of Justinian's heresy, his supposed belief that Christ was fully divine but not also fully human, and his subsequent turn to "true faith" through the intervention of Pope Agapetus I (6.13-21). Triggered by Justinian's presentation, Beatrice provides ample discussion of this theological issue in canto 7. Dante spent the final years of his life in Ravenna (his tomb is located there), an Italian city below Venice on the Adriatic coast. Ravenna is famous for the beautiful mosaics of its churches. Several of these images undoubtedly gave Dante ideas for his portrayal of paradise, and others depict the presence of Justinian (with the empress Theodora) in Ravenna after he moved the seat of the Roman empire back to Italy after two centuries in the east (Constantinople).