During the Emperor's rule Justinian, the city of Constantinople experienced a revolt, the Nika revolt, which resulted in the death of 30,000 people in the year of 532. The uprising had as a backdrop the horse races held at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, but it was also a way found by the population to express their dissatisfaction with the government of Justinian.
The population of Constantinople had a great interest in sport competitions, and one of the most prestigious disciplines was horse-drawn chariot racing. The follow-up to these races led the city's inhabitants to split in the support of two groups main ones that competed in the sport: the greens and blues, colors that the runners wore in your blouses.
But the fans also ended up turning into parties. The greens represented the high officials and the plebs, including merchants, artisans and the poorest population, constituting the largest crowd. The blue crowd was made up of large landowners and religious orthodoxy. In addition to the opposition in supporting the teams that competed in the races, the division included political and religious differences, which led to fights in the city's streets at certain times.
In one of the races, Justiniano gave the victory to his favorite horse, even though he was not the winner. This posture was the trigger to unite the two fans against the emperor and break out the revolt. The insurgents defeated the imperial guards and continued to demonstrate through the streets of the city. Several buildings and monuments were destroyed in the eight days of the uprising. The rebels shouted the word nika, which means "victory”, in Greek. Hence the name Nika Revolt.
Obviously, the reason for the revolt was not just a horse race. There was a growing dissatisfaction with the high taxes that the Emperor levied on the population, which were used to cover the expenses to maintain the wars and the luxurious life enjoyed by the court of Justinian. They were also fighting hunger, homelessness and the centralization of power. In this last aspect, a conflict about the dynastic succession was inserted, since the relatives of Anastasius did not accept having been replaced by the Justinian dynasty.
The revolt took on great dimensions, and the rebels even proclaimed a new emperor, who was Anastasius' nephew. Faced with this situation, Justinian thought, together with his advisers, of fleeing Constantinople. The Emperor only changed his mind after his wife, Theodora, who was very influential in the government, took a stand against the flight, encouraging her husband to resist.
Justinian determined General Belissarius to be responsible for containing the revolt. The result was the execution of around 30,000 people, most of whom were beheaded. Members of Anastasius' family were also executed. With the harsh repression, Justiniano was able to return to govern centrally, without contesting his authority.
By Tales Pinto
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/revolta-nika-durante-imperio-justiniano.htm
