Blues VS. Greens Byzantine Empire
By: Bryson, Noah, Hayden
The 2 Warring Factions
The Blues and the Greens were at the center of the conflict. The Greens represented Monophysitism and the lower classes; the Blues, orthodoxy and the upper classes. In 532 the two factions joined in the Nika revolt against Emperor Justinian I and Empress Theodora.
What exactly started the conflict?
On January 13, 532, a tense and angry populace arrived at the Hippodrome for the races. The Hippodrome was next to the palace complex, and thus Justinian could watch from the safety of his box in the palace and preside over the races. From the start, the crowd had been hurling insults at Justinian. By the end of the day, at race 22, the partisan chants had changed from "Blue" or "Green" to a unified Nika, and the crowds broke out and began to assault the palace. For the next five days, the palace was under siege. The fires that started during the tumult resulted in the destruction of much of the city, including the city's foremost church, the Hagia Sophia.
How long did it Last?
The Nika revolt was a revolt against Emperor Justinian over the course of a week at Constantinople. It was the most violent riot in the history of Constantinople with over half the city being destroyed and tens of thousands of people being killed.
How did it end?
General Narses persuaded the Blue faction with gold and got them to abandon the Green side, leaving them stunned. The emperor's army then crushed the remaining rebels.
When did the feud take place?
The feud took place on January 13, 532
Total Causalities
Nearly half of the city had been burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people were killed during the Nika Riots.
Sources Cited
Dash, Mike. "Blue versus Green: Rocking the Byzantine Empire." Smithsonian.com.
Smithsonian Institution, 02 Mar. 2012. Web. 02 May 2017.
"Blues and Greens." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed. Encyclopedia.com, n.d. Web.
02 May 2017.
"Nika Riots." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Mar. 2017. Web. 02 May 2017.
"Blues Vs Greens." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 02 May 2017.