Mosaic of Justinian's wife, Theodora

As the Western Roman Empire struggled to defend itself from Germanic invaders, the Eastern Roman Empire thrived through the Byzantine Empire, with Constantinople at its core. This city had geographic and economic advantages, as it was surrounded on three sides by water and was centrally located between the European and Asian markets of the time. Strong leaders like Justinian invested greatly in religious and civic works, and brought legal order by unifying the law code. During the Byzantine Empire, the government provided patronage to artists, which is evident by the religious and imperial themes depicted in icons and mosaics. While Byzantine culture developed an identity of its own, it also maintained the knowledge and culture of the Greeks and Romans.