Nika riots

Constantinople's plan with the Hippodrome and the Palace.

Nika riots or Nika revolt (Greek: Στάση του Νίκα) is called a popular rebellion in the city of Constantinople during the year 532. It took its name from the cry launched by the rebels: "Nika", which means "win!" in greek. The events took place in the vicinity of the residence of Emperor Justinian I.

The Nika riots erupted as a result of growing social tension in the Byzantine Empire. An inconsequential argument between the rival "Greens" and "Blues" (colors with which they competed) on chariot races became an unprecedented popular outburst that shook the throne of Justinian I.

Procopius of Caesarea wrote:

The population of the cities had long been divided into two groups, the Greens and the Blues... their members (of each faction) fought against their adversaries... not respecting marriage or kinship, or bonds of friendship, even though those who supported different colors could be brothers or had some other kinship.

This rivalry was aggravated by a political and theological background, since while the Greens were made up mostly of merchants and tenants of public services and goods and professed Monophysitism, the Blues were mainly landowners or aristocrats and practiced official Christianity. Justinian supported the latter.

The political moment was also turbulent, as Justinian was in the middle of negotiating with the Persians for peace, and in order to pay these and other barbarians he had to impose large taxes on the citizenry, which were not well received.

The revolt began in the Hippodrome, where the emperors met, and spread throughout the city, attacking and destroying public buildings such as the Grand Palace and the most important church in the city, Hagia Sophia, which would later be rebuilt by Justinian.

The rebels even named a new emperor, Hypatius, who was the nephew of the former emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518).

Only the serenity of his wife, Theodora, prevented Justinian from fleeing the capital and allowed the rebellion to be finally put down by General Belisarius.

Belisario and Narsés, pretending to negotiate, surrounded the rebels at the hippodrome and massacred them. It is estimated that nearly 30,000 people died.