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The Nika Revolt
Violent Uprising in Early Medieval Byzantium
by Melissa Snell, Updated April 19, 2017
The Nika Revolt was a devastating riot that took place in early medieval Constantinople, in the Eastern Roman Empire. It threatened the life and reign of Emperor Justinian.
The Nika Revolt was also known as:
the Nika Rebellion, the Nika Uprising, the Nika Riot, the Nike Revolt, the Nike Rebellion, the Nike Uprising, the Nike Riot
The Nika Revolt took place in:
January, 532 C.E., in Constantinople
The Hippodrome
The Hippodrome was the site in Constantinople where enormous crowds gathered to watch exciting chariot races and similar spectacles.
Several other sports had been outlawed over the preceding decades, so chariot races were particularly welcome occasions. But events in the Hippodrome sometimes led to violence among the spectators, and more than one riot had begun there in the past. The Nika Revolt would begin and, several days later, end in the Hippodrome.
Nika!
Fans in the Hippodrome would cheer on their favorite charioteers and chariot teams with the cry, "Nika!", which has been variously translated as "Conquer!", "Win!" and "Victory!" In the Nika Revolt, this was the cry the rioters took up.
The Blues and the Greens
The charioteers and their teams were garbed in specific colors (as were their horses and the chariots themselves); the fans who followed these teams identified with their colors. There had been reds and whites, but by the time of Justinian's reign, the most popular by far were the Blues and the Greens.
The fans that followed the chariot teams retained their identity beyond the Hippodrome, and at times they wielded considerable cultural influence.
Scholars once thought that the Blues and the Greens each associated with particular political movements, but there is little evidence to support this. It is now believed that the primary interest of the Blues and the Greens was their racing teams, and that occasional violence sometimes spilled over from the Hippodrome into other aspects of Byzantine society without any real direction from fan leaders.
For several decades, it had been traditional for the emperor to choose either the Blues or the Greens to support, which virtually guaranteed the two most powerful teams would not be able to join together against the imperial government. But Justinian was a different breed of emperor. Once, years before he took the throne, he had been believed to favor the Blues; but now, because he wanted to remain above partisan politics even of the most superficial kind, he did not throw his support behind any charioteer. This would prove to be a serious mistake.
The New Reign of Emperor Justinian
Justinian had become co-emperor with his uncle, Justin, in April of 527, and he became sole emperor when Justin died four months later. Justin had risen from humble beginnings; Justinian was also considered by many senators to be of low birth, and not truly worthy of their respect.
Most scholars agree that Justinian had a sincere wish to improve the empire, the capital city of Constantinople, and the lives of the people who lived there. Unfortunately, the measures he took to accomplish this proved disruptive. Justinian's ambitious plans to reconquer Roman territory, his extensive building projects, and his ongoing war with Persia all required funding, which meant more and more taxes; and his wish to end corruption in the government led him to appoint some overzealous officials whose severe measures caused resentment in several levels of society.
Things looked very bad when a riot broke out over the extreme strictures employed by one of Justinian's most unpopular officials, John of Cappadocia. The riot was put down with brutal force, many participants were jailed, and those ringleaders that were captured were sentenced to death. This engendered further unrest among the citizenry. It was in this heightened state of tension that Constantinople was suspended in the early days of January, 532.
The Botched Execution
When the ringleaders of the riot were supposed to be executed, the job was botched, and two of them escaped. One was a fan of the Blues, the other a fan of the Greens. Both were hidden away safely in a monastery. Their supporters decided to ask the emperor for leniency for these two men at the next chariot race.
The Riot Breaks Out
On January 13, 532, when the chariot races were scheduled to begin, members of both the Blues and the Greens loudly pleaded with the emperor to show mercy to the two men that Fortune had rescued from the gallows.
When no response was forthcoming, both factions began to cry out, "Nika! Nika!" The chant, so often heard in the Hippodrome in support of one charioteer or another, was now directed against Justinian.
The Hippodrome erupted in violence, and soon the mob took to the streets. Their first objective was the praetorian, which was, essentially, the headquarters of Constantinople's police department and the municipal jail. The rioters released the prisoners and set the building on fire. Before long a substantial portion of the city was in flames, including the Hagia Sophia and several other great buildings.
From Riot to Rebellion
It is not clear how soon members of the aristocracy became involved, but by the time the city was on fire there were signs that forces were attempting to use the incident to overthrow an unpopular emperor. Justinian recognized the danger and tried to appease his opposition by agreeing to remove from office those responsible for conceiving of and carrying out the most unpopular policies. But this gesture of conciliation was rebuffed, and rioting continued. Then Justinian ordered General Belisarius to squelch the riot; but in this, the estimable soldier and the emperor's troops failed.
Justinian and his closest supporters stayed holed up in the palace while the riot raged and the city burned. Then, on January 18, the emperor tried once more to find a compromise. But when he appeared in the Hippodrome, all of his offers were rejected out of hand. It was at this point that rioters proposed another candidate for emperor: Hypatius, nephew of the late Emperor Anastasius I.
A political coup was at hand.
Hypatius
Though related to a former emperor, Hypatius had never been a serious candidate for the throne. He'd led an undistinguished career-- first as a military officer, and now as a senator -- and was probably content to remain out of the limelight. According to Procopius, Hypatius and his brother Pompeius had stayed with Justinian in the palace during the riot, until the emperor grew suspicious of them and their vague connection to the purple, and threw them out. The brothers did not want to leave, fearing they would be used by the rioters and the anti-Justinian faction. This, of course, is exactly what happened. Procopius relates that his wife, Mary, took hold of Hypatius and wouldn't let go, until the crowd overwhelmed her, and her husband was carried to the throne against his will.
The Moment of Truth
When Hypatius was borne to the throne, Justinian and his entourage left the Hippodrome once more. The revolt was now too far out of hand, and there seemed no way to take control. The emperor and his associates began to discuss fleeing the city.
It was Justinian's wife, Empress Theodora, who convinced them to stand firm. According to Procopius, she told her husband, "... the present time, above all others, is inopportune for flight, even though it bring safety ... For one who has been an emperor, it is unendurable to be a fugitive ... consider whether it will not come about after you have been saved that you would gladly exchange that safety for death.
For as for myself, I approve a certain ancient saying that royalty is a good burial-shroud."
Shamed by her words, and buoyed by her courage, Justinian rose to the occasion.
The Nika Revolt is Crushed
Once more Emperor Justinian sent General Belisarius to attack the rebels with Imperial troops. With most of the rioters confined to the Hippodrome, the results were far different than the general's first attempt: Scholars estimate that between 30,000 and 35,000 people were slaughtered. Many of the ringleaders were captured and executed, including the unfortunate Hypatius. In the face of such a massacre, the rebellion crumpled.
Aftermath of the Nika Revolt
The death toll and the extensive destruction of Constantinople were horrific, and it would take years for the city and its people to recover. Arrests were ongoing after the revolt, and many families lost everything due to their connection to the rebellion. The Hippodrome was shut down, and races were suspended for five years.
But for Justinian, the results of the riots were very much to his advantage. Not only was the emperor able to confiscate a number of wealthy estates, he returned to their offices the officials he'd agreed to remove, including John of Cappadocia -- although, to his credit, he did keep them from going to the extremes they'd employed in the past. And his victory over the rebels garnered him new respect, if not true admiration. No one was willing to move against Justinian, and he was now able to go forward with all his ambitious plans -- rebuilding the city, reconquering territory in Italy, completing his law codes, among others. He also began instituting laws that curbed the powers of the senatorial class that had so looked down on him and his family.
The Nika Revolt had backfired. Though Justinian had been brought to the brink of destruction, he had overcome his enemies and would enjoy a long and fruitful reign.
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-nika-revolt-1788557
http://greatistanbul.com/nika_riot.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nika_riots
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc wayne LTC Wayne Brandon @ ltc jeff LTC Jeff Shearer @ maj william Maj William W. 'Bill' Price @ maj stephen LTC (Join to see) @ capt tom Capt Tom Brown @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher B. @ sfc william SFC William Farrell @ ssg robert SSG Robert Webster @ sgt randy Sgt Randy Wilber @ sgt jim SGT Jim Arnold @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski @ cpl dave CPL Dave Hoover @ spc margaret SPC Margaret Higgins Alan K.
Violent Uprising in Early Medieval Byzantium
by Melissa Snell, Updated April 19, 2017
The Nika Revolt was a devastating riot that took place in early medieval Constantinople, in the Eastern Roman Empire. It threatened the life and reign of Emperor Justinian.
The Nika Revolt was also known as:
the Nika Rebellion, the Nika Uprising, the Nika Riot, the Nike Revolt, the Nike Rebellion, the Nike Uprising, the Nike Riot
The Nika Revolt took place in:
January, 532 C.E., in Constantinople
The Hippodrome
The Hippodrome was the site in Constantinople where enormous crowds gathered to watch exciting chariot races and similar spectacles.
Several other sports had been outlawed over the preceding decades, so chariot races were particularly welcome occasions. But events in the Hippodrome sometimes led to violence among the spectators, and more than one riot had begun there in the past. The Nika Revolt would begin and, several days later, end in the Hippodrome.
Nika!
Fans in the Hippodrome would cheer on their favorite charioteers and chariot teams with the cry, "Nika!", which has been variously translated as "Conquer!", "Win!" and "Victory!" In the Nika Revolt, this was the cry the rioters took up.
The Blues and the Greens
The charioteers and their teams were garbed in specific colors (as were their horses and the chariots themselves); the fans who followed these teams identified with their colors. There had been reds and whites, but by the time of Justinian's reign, the most popular by far were the Blues and the Greens.
The fans that followed the chariot teams retained their identity beyond the Hippodrome, and at times they wielded considerable cultural influence.
Scholars once thought that the Blues and the Greens each associated with particular political movements, but there is little evidence to support this. It is now believed that the primary interest of the Blues and the Greens was their racing teams, and that occasional violence sometimes spilled over from the Hippodrome into other aspects of Byzantine society without any real direction from fan leaders.
For several decades, it had been traditional for the emperor to choose either the Blues or the Greens to support, which virtually guaranteed the two most powerful teams would not be able to join together against the imperial government. But Justinian was a different breed of emperor. Once, years before he took the throne, he had been believed to favor the Blues; but now, because he wanted to remain above partisan politics even of the most superficial kind, he did not throw his support behind any charioteer. This would prove to be a serious mistake.
The New Reign of Emperor Justinian
Justinian had become co-emperor with his uncle, Justin, in April of 527, and he became sole emperor when Justin died four months later. Justin had risen from humble beginnings; Justinian was also considered by many senators to be of low birth, and not truly worthy of their respect.
Most scholars agree that Justinian had a sincere wish to improve the empire, the capital city of Constantinople, and the lives of the people who lived there. Unfortunately, the measures he took to accomplish this proved disruptive. Justinian's ambitious plans to reconquer Roman territory, his extensive building projects, and his ongoing war with Persia all required funding, which meant more and more taxes; and his wish to end corruption in the government led him to appoint some overzealous officials whose severe measures caused resentment in several levels of society.
Things looked very bad when a riot broke out over the extreme strictures employed by one of Justinian's most unpopular officials, John of Cappadocia. The riot was put down with brutal force, many participants were jailed, and those ringleaders that were captured were sentenced to death. This engendered further unrest among the citizenry. It was in this heightened state of tension that Constantinople was suspended in the early days of January, 532.
The Botched Execution
When the ringleaders of the riot were supposed to be executed, the job was botched, and two of them escaped. One was a fan of the Blues, the other a fan of the Greens. Both were hidden away safely in a monastery. Their supporters decided to ask the emperor for leniency for these two men at the next chariot race.
The Riot Breaks Out
On January 13, 532, when the chariot races were scheduled to begin, members of both the Blues and the Greens loudly pleaded with the emperor to show mercy to the two men that Fortune had rescued from the gallows.
When no response was forthcoming, both factions began to cry out, "Nika! Nika!" The chant, so often heard in the Hippodrome in support of one charioteer or another, was now directed against Justinian.
The Hippodrome erupted in violence, and soon the mob took to the streets. Their first objective was the praetorian, which was, essentially, the headquarters of Constantinople's police department and the municipal jail. The rioters released the prisoners and set the building on fire. Before long a substantial portion of the city was in flames, including the Hagia Sophia and several other great buildings.
From Riot to Rebellion
It is not clear how soon members of the aristocracy became involved, but by the time the city was on fire there were signs that forces were attempting to use the incident to overthrow an unpopular emperor. Justinian recognized the danger and tried to appease his opposition by agreeing to remove from office those responsible for conceiving of and carrying out the most unpopular policies. But this gesture of conciliation was rebuffed, and rioting continued. Then Justinian ordered General Belisarius to squelch the riot; but in this, the estimable soldier and the emperor's troops failed.
Justinian and his closest supporters stayed holed up in the palace while the riot raged and the city burned. Then, on January 18, the emperor tried once more to find a compromise. But when he appeared in the Hippodrome, all of his offers were rejected out of hand. It was at this point that rioters proposed another candidate for emperor: Hypatius, nephew of the late Emperor Anastasius I.
A political coup was at hand.
Hypatius
Though related to a former emperor, Hypatius had never been a serious candidate for the throne. He'd led an undistinguished career-- first as a military officer, and now as a senator -- and was probably content to remain out of the limelight. According to Procopius, Hypatius and his brother Pompeius had stayed with Justinian in the palace during the riot, until the emperor grew suspicious of them and their vague connection to the purple, and threw them out. The brothers did not want to leave, fearing they would be used by the rioters and the anti-Justinian faction. This, of course, is exactly what happened. Procopius relates that his wife, Mary, took hold of Hypatius and wouldn't let go, until the crowd overwhelmed her, and her husband was carried to the throne against his will.
The Moment of Truth
When Hypatius was borne to the throne, Justinian and his entourage left the Hippodrome once more. The revolt was now too far out of hand, and there seemed no way to take control. The emperor and his associates began to discuss fleeing the city.
It was Justinian's wife, Empress Theodora, who convinced them to stand firm. According to Procopius, she told her husband, "... the present time, above all others, is inopportune for flight, even though it bring safety ... For one who has been an emperor, it is unendurable to be a fugitive ... consider whether it will not come about after you have been saved that you would gladly exchange that safety for death.
For as for myself, I approve a certain ancient saying that royalty is a good burial-shroud."
Shamed by her words, and buoyed by her courage, Justinian rose to the occasion.
The Nika Revolt is Crushed
Once more Emperor Justinian sent General Belisarius to attack the rebels with Imperial troops. With most of the rioters confined to the Hippodrome, the results were far different than the general's first attempt: Scholars estimate that between 30,000 and 35,000 people were slaughtered. Many of the ringleaders were captured and executed, including the unfortunate Hypatius. In the face of such a massacre, the rebellion crumpled.
Aftermath of the Nika Revolt
The death toll and the extensive destruction of Constantinople were horrific, and it would take years for the city and its people to recover. Arrests were ongoing after the revolt, and many families lost everything due to their connection to the rebellion. The Hippodrome was shut down, and races were suspended for five years.
But for Justinian, the results of the riots were very much to his advantage. Not only was the emperor able to confiscate a number of wealthy estates, he returned to their offices the officials he'd agreed to remove, including John of Cappadocia -- although, to his credit, he did keep them from going to the extremes they'd employed in the past. And his victory over the rebels garnered him new respect, if not true admiration. No one was willing to move against Justinian, and he was now able to go forward with all his ambitious plans -- rebuilding the city, reconquering territory in Italy, completing his law codes, among others. He also began instituting laws that curbed the powers of the senatorial class that had so looked down on him and his family.
The Nika Revolt had backfired. Though Justinian had been brought to the brink of destruction, he had overcome his enemies and would enjoy a long and fruitful reign.
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-nika-revolt-1788557
http://greatistanbul.com/nika_riot.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nika_riots
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Ancient History
Culture
Riots
Sports
Death
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Early soccer matches?
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SrA Christopher Wright Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Gregory Lawritson Cpl (Join to see) Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth LTC (Join to see) MSG Frederick Otero SFC Pete Kain SSG David Andrews LCDR (Join to see) PO1 Tony Holland SCPO Morris Ramsey SPC Margaret Higgins SGT Jim Arnold SFC William H. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SGT Charles H. Hawes SFC Craig Dalen CPL Dave Hoover
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Never knew the details of this part of Turkeys history and enjoyed the lesson.
Thanks, John and have a great day!
Thanks, John and have a great day!
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Thanks SGT John " Mac " McConnell for reminding us about the Nika Revolt took place on January, 532 AD in Constantinople, in the Eastern Roman Empire are of modern day Turkey.
The Hippodrome was a course for chariot or horse races in ancient Greece and Roman empires.
Here is some additional background on the situation in the eastern Roman Empire.
"The Byzantine government, as all governments, became extremely bureaucratic and corrupt. The culture divided into what we would call a right and left wing system of politics. The roots of this real divide grew out of sports and rival competing teams. These team associations grew and had become a focus for various social and political issues within the Eastern Roman Empire that was primarily Greek. This rivalry combined every aspect that to a large extent it was the classic poor v rich resentment that has always torn society apart at the seams.
In this respect, this classic difference embraced street gangs that would rob those with anything as well as small business owners. This resentment even filtered into political parties, taking positions on current issues, that then spread into theological differences. This idea that God created all men equal has been used by the “poor” to justify taking the possessions of anyone they deem to be “rich”, which is defined as anyone having more than they do. Adopting Christianity did not help for they ignored the Ten Commandments that prohibited coveting their neighbor’s goods in favor of this concept it is not fair for anyone to have something more than average. This is the typical equality battle cry that has echoed throughout the centuries and still dominates politics to this day.
We often find violent arguments in religion and the Byzantine Empire, while pretending to be Christian, was anything other than love their brother. During the fifth and sixth centuries, these religious disputes became exceptionally violent. This dispute filtered even into support or dislike for claimants to the throne as we saw in England between Protestants and Catholics. Byzantium, despite its Christian claims, was anything but a place that followed such a creed.
Religion often was used to influence the policy of the emperors in post-Constantine era as it was in Japan as well. Of course, this clash eventually led to violent persecutions for even having images of Jesus Christ and Saints by the 8th and 9th centuries known as the Iconoclastic Controversy.
This trend of dividing society into two primary opposing groups (Blues & Greens) spread into political turmoil that led to shouting political demands between the chariot races in the Hippodrome at the Emperor whose Palace was adjacent to it and allowed him to watch the chariot races.
Justinian had established a commission in 528AD and recodified the Rule of Law that produced a legal code in 529AD and 530AD, followed by the Digest in 533AD. Justinian’s legal reforms attempted to root out corruption and this proved to be very unpopular with the beneficants on each side. This attempt at reform contributed to the political unrest that was agitated and erupted into the Nika Revolt of 532AD. This riot was fueled behind the curtain by powerful opposing forces on each side.
In 531AD, some members of the Blues and Greens had been arrested for murder in connection with deaths that occurred during rioting after a recent chariot race. Much as violence breaks out at soccer games in Europe, the same commonality of limited riots accompanied the chariot races. The murderers were to be hanged, however, on January 10th, 532, two of them, a Blue and a Green, escaped and were taking refuge in the sanctuary of a church surrounded by an angry mob.
Justinian was in the middle of trying to negotiate peace with the Persians in the east simply to reduce government expenditure. There was the economic resentment over high taxes, which fueled this trend of poor v rich that was brewing into a major political conflict. Justinian declared that a chariot race would be held on January 13th and commuted the sentences to imprisonment of the murderers to suppress the rising anger that saw this as part of the political issues at hand. The angry mob of both the Blues and Greens responded by demanding that the two men be pardoned entirely. When the two factions arrived at the Hippodrome for the races, the resentment merely erupted into major violence.
The angry mob began shouting insults at Justinian who was watching the race from the Palace. By the end of the day, the chants suddenly changed from “Blue” or “Green” to a unified Nίκα (“Nika”, meaning “Win!” or “Conquer!”). The mob broke out and began to assault the palace for once unified. The palace fell under virtual siege for 5 days and people were fed up with the high taxes. The mob set fires that began to spread and much of the city now was engulfed in the flames. The flames even claimed the city’s foremost church, the original Hagia Sophia.
Emboldened by the 5 days of rioting that the local police and military troops would not suppress, some of the Senators drew the courage to call for the overthrow Justinian, for they were opposed to his new tax proposals that even targeted the rich making him unpopular even among the nobility. The mob now demanded that Justinian dismiss the prefect John the Cappadocian, who was responsible for tax collecting, and the quaestor Tribonian, who was responsible for rewriting the legal code.
The lack of support from the police and military embolden them even further and they then declared a new emperor, Hypatius, who was a nephew of former Emperor Anastasius I. Justinian now feared for his own life and was considering fleeing to save himself. However, his wife Theodora (500-548AD) who reigned between 527AD and 565AD in Constantinople as Empress who assumed control. She had been an actress and in those days typically meant a prostitute. She did have one child before being married. Yet she was a famed beauty and very intelligent. She became the mistress of the heir to the throne, Justinian who married her in 525AD raising quite a scandal. When he succeeded to the throne, he crowned her Augusta (Empress).
Her intelligence made her a respected adviser to her husband and she even championed religious theories. Yet when rioting broke out in the Hippodrome between the right and left wing political factions, it was Theodora who rose to the occasion and told her husband to stay. She then instructed General Belisarius to defend the city who had an army outside of Constantinople composed of troops who were not Greeks, but from Western Europe.
Theodora sent Narses, a popular eunuch, into the Hippodrome armed with only a bag of gold coins. Narses entered the Hippodrome alone and unarmed to face the murderous mob that had already killed hundreds. Narses went directly to the Blues’ section, where he approached the important Blue leaders and reminded them that Emperor Justinian supported them over the Greens. He also reminded them that the man they were crowning, Hypatius, was a Green. Narses then distributed the gold. The Blue leaders spoke quietly with each other and then they spoke to their followers. Then, in the middle of Hypatius’s coronation, the Blues stormed out of the Hippodrome. The Greens sat, stunned. It was at this time when General Belisarius stormed into the Hippodrome with his foreign legions and slaughtered the remaining rebels. Reports put the death toll ate about 30,000. Justinian also had Hypatius executed and exiled all the senators who had supported the riot. From the ashes, Justinian then rebuilt Constantinople and the church destroyed by fire – the Hagia Sophia, which still stands to this day. Justinian was then free to pursue his ultimate goal, the reunification of the Roman Empire."
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/nika-riots/
Images: Constantinople Hippodrome; 532 Theodora sent Narses, a popular eunuch, into the Hippodrome armed with only a bag of gold coins; 547 Empress Theordora and her attendants an San Vitale, Ravena.
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The Hippodrome was a course for chariot or horse races in ancient Greece and Roman empires.
Here is some additional background on the situation in the eastern Roman Empire.
"The Byzantine government, as all governments, became extremely bureaucratic and corrupt. The culture divided into what we would call a right and left wing system of politics. The roots of this real divide grew out of sports and rival competing teams. These team associations grew and had become a focus for various social and political issues within the Eastern Roman Empire that was primarily Greek. This rivalry combined every aspect that to a large extent it was the classic poor v rich resentment that has always torn society apart at the seams.
In this respect, this classic difference embraced street gangs that would rob those with anything as well as small business owners. This resentment even filtered into political parties, taking positions on current issues, that then spread into theological differences. This idea that God created all men equal has been used by the “poor” to justify taking the possessions of anyone they deem to be “rich”, which is defined as anyone having more than they do. Adopting Christianity did not help for they ignored the Ten Commandments that prohibited coveting their neighbor’s goods in favor of this concept it is not fair for anyone to have something more than average. This is the typical equality battle cry that has echoed throughout the centuries and still dominates politics to this day.
We often find violent arguments in religion and the Byzantine Empire, while pretending to be Christian, was anything other than love their brother. During the fifth and sixth centuries, these religious disputes became exceptionally violent. This dispute filtered even into support or dislike for claimants to the throne as we saw in England between Protestants and Catholics. Byzantium, despite its Christian claims, was anything but a place that followed such a creed.
Religion often was used to influence the policy of the emperors in post-Constantine era as it was in Japan as well. Of course, this clash eventually led to violent persecutions for even having images of Jesus Christ and Saints by the 8th and 9th centuries known as the Iconoclastic Controversy.
This trend of dividing society into two primary opposing groups (Blues & Greens) spread into political turmoil that led to shouting political demands between the chariot races in the Hippodrome at the Emperor whose Palace was adjacent to it and allowed him to watch the chariot races.
Justinian had established a commission in 528AD and recodified the Rule of Law that produced a legal code in 529AD and 530AD, followed by the Digest in 533AD. Justinian’s legal reforms attempted to root out corruption and this proved to be very unpopular with the beneficants on each side. This attempt at reform contributed to the political unrest that was agitated and erupted into the Nika Revolt of 532AD. This riot was fueled behind the curtain by powerful opposing forces on each side.
In 531AD, some members of the Blues and Greens had been arrested for murder in connection with deaths that occurred during rioting after a recent chariot race. Much as violence breaks out at soccer games in Europe, the same commonality of limited riots accompanied the chariot races. The murderers were to be hanged, however, on January 10th, 532, two of them, a Blue and a Green, escaped and were taking refuge in the sanctuary of a church surrounded by an angry mob.
Justinian was in the middle of trying to negotiate peace with the Persians in the east simply to reduce government expenditure. There was the economic resentment over high taxes, which fueled this trend of poor v rich that was brewing into a major political conflict. Justinian declared that a chariot race would be held on January 13th and commuted the sentences to imprisonment of the murderers to suppress the rising anger that saw this as part of the political issues at hand. The angry mob of both the Blues and Greens responded by demanding that the two men be pardoned entirely. When the two factions arrived at the Hippodrome for the races, the resentment merely erupted into major violence.
The angry mob began shouting insults at Justinian who was watching the race from the Palace. By the end of the day, the chants suddenly changed from “Blue” or “Green” to a unified Nίκα (“Nika”, meaning “Win!” or “Conquer!”). The mob broke out and began to assault the palace for once unified. The palace fell under virtual siege for 5 days and people were fed up with the high taxes. The mob set fires that began to spread and much of the city now was engulfed in the flames. The flames even claimed the city’s foremost church, the original Hagia Sophia.
Emboldened by the 5 days of rioting that the local police and military troops would not suppress, some of the Senators drew the courage to call for the overthrow Justinian, for they were opposed to his new tax proposals that even targeted the rich making him unpopular even among the nobility. The mob now demanded that Justinian dismiss the prefect John the Cappadocian, who was responsible for tax collecting, and the quaestor Tribonian, who was responsible for rewriting the legal code.
The lack of support from the police and military embolden them even further and they then declared a new emperor, Hypatius, who was a nephew of former Emperor Anastasius I. Justinian now feared for his own life and was considering fleeing to save himself. However, his wife Theodora (500-548AD) who reigned between 527AD and 565AD in Constantinople as Empress who assumed control. She had been an actress and in those days typically meant a prostitute. She did have one child before being married. Yet she was a famed beauty and very intelligent. She became the mistress of the heir to the throne, Justinian who married her in 525AD raising quite a scandal. When he succeeded to the throne, he crowned her Augusta (Empress).
Her intelligence made her a respected adviser to her husband and she even championed religious theories. Yet when rioting broke out in the Hippodrome between the right and left wing political factions, it was Theodora who rose to the occasion and told her husband to stay. She then instructed General Belisarius to defend the city who had an army outside of Constantinople composed of troops who were not Greeks, but from Western Europe.
Theodora sent Narses, a popular eunuch, into the Hippodrome armed with only a bag of gold coins. Narses entered the Hippodrome alone and unarmed to face the murderous mob that had already killed hundreds. Narses went directly to the Blues’ section, where he approached the important Blue leaders and reminded them that Emperor Justinian supported them over the Greens. He also reminded them that the man they were crowning, Hypatius, was a Green. Narses then distributed the gold. The Blue leaders spoke quietly with each other and then they spoke to their followers. Then, in the middle of Hypatius’s coronation, the Blues stormed out of the Hippodrome. The Greens sat, stunned. It was at this time when General Belisarius stormed into the Hippodrome with his foreign legions and slaughtered the remaining rebels. Reports put the death toll ate about 30,000. Justinian also had Hypatius executed and exiled all the senators who had supported the riot. From the ashes, Justinian then rebuilt Constantinople and the church destroyed by fire – the Hagia Sophia, which still stands to this day. Justinian was then free to pursue his ultimate goal, the reunification of the Roman Empire."
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/nika-riots/
Images: Constantinople Hippodrome; 532 Theodora sent Narses, a popular eunuch, into the Hippodrome armed with only a bag of gold coins; 547 Empress Theordora and her attendants an San Vitale, Ravena.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Wayne Brandon Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown 1stSgt Eugene Harless SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx TSgt Joe C. SP5 Robert Ruck SP5 Mark Kuzinski SrA Christopher Wright SGT Robert George CPL Eric Escasio SPC (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SGT (Join to see)
Nika Riots of January 13, 532AD | Armstrong Economics
The Byzantine government, as all governments, became extremely bureaucratic and corrupt. The culture divided into what we would call a right and left wing
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SGT John " Mac " McConnell
Great addition to this post as always LTC Stephen F. . Stay warm my friend....
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