Abstract:
The Emperor Justinian faced a frightful rebellion in the capital which nearly deprived him of the throne, this riot was known as the Nica revolt. The events that led to this revolution are based on the arrest of supporters of the Blue and Green parties - the two parties that the people of Constantinople were divided into according to the clothes that the riders wore - in the Hippodrome. On January 11, 532 AD, a fire broke out in Constantinople in the most violent riots that Constantinople witnessed throughout its history, many people were killed and the most beautiful buildings were burned and destroyed, including the Church of Hagia Sophia.
This paper examines the emergence of the Blue and Green parties as social and political entities in the Byzantine Empire. It also studies the role of Justinian's policy, imposing heavy taxes on the people and his failure to meet their demands, which was a direct cause of this revolution. This study will also clarify that although the Nica riots and the destruction that befell Constantinople, this revolution represented the true beginning of Justinian's era.
