Exhortations to the Emperor Justinian

The document traditionally attributed to Pope Agapetus I, often known as his Exhortation to the Emperor, is a sustained moral and spiritual counsel addressed to the Roman Emperor Justinian I. Composed in the form of short, aphoristic chapters, it lays out a vision of kingship rooted not in political domination, but in Christian piety, humility, justice, and charity. The ruler is portrayed as God's image on earth, entrusted with immense authority yet bound by even greater moral responsibility.