High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Peter the Patrician (Latin: Petrus Patricius, Greek: , Petros ho Patrikios; ca. 500 565) was a senior East Roman or Byzantine official, diplomat and historian. A well-educated and successful lawyer, he was repeatedly sent as envoy to Ostrogothic Italy in the prelude to the Gothic War of 535 554. Despite his diplomatic skill, he was not able to avert war, and was imprisoned by the Goths in Ravenna for a few years. Upon his release, he was appointed to the post of magister officiorum, head of the imperial secretariat, which he held for an unparalleled 26 years. In this capacity he was one of the leading ministers of emperor Justinian I (r. 527 565), playing an important role in the emperor's religious policies and the relations with Sassanid Persia; most notably he lead the negotiations for the peace agreement of 562 that ended the 20-year long Lazic War.