Stasis of Nikas:With this name, the popular uprising that happened in Byzantium during the time of Justinian and was drowned in blood by the emperor went down in history.
Protagonists of the uprising were the municipalities of the "Greens" and "Venetians" (blue), fan organizations of popular origin, who lived for the chariot races on the stands of the Hippodrome of Constantinople. The "Russians" and "Whites" were far behind in popularity of the other two municipalities. Chariot racing was a particularly popular sport at the time. Historians characterize the communes as something between a gang and a political party, as they often tried to influence political decisions.
In 531, a "Venetian" and a "Green" are arrested on charges of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Justinian, an avowed supporter of the Venetians, commuted the death penalty to imprisonment. The "Greens" and "Venetians" claim their full exemption. The emperor, however, ignores them.
On January 11, 532 they rise up, set fire to buildings, besiege the palace and even damage Hagia Sophia. The yacht "Nika" vibrates the atmosphere. It's the slogan they shouted at the Hippodrome to cheer up the charioteers.
The number of rebels grew, as the people resented the emperor's economic reforms, heavy taxation, and state arbitrariness. It demands the resignation of Ioannis Kappadokis (Minister of Finance at the time) and the famous jurist Tribonian.
The senators and the nobles, who saw their rights curtailed by Justinian's reforms, tried to exploit the situation to their advantage. They gather in the Hippodrome and place Hypatius, the nephew of the former emperor Anastasius, on the throne.
Justinian is unable to control the situation. He is new to power and has a bunch of scoundrels, with the Persians in the east of the empire. For a moment he thinks of leaving Constantinople. The imperial wife, the dynamic and determined Theodora, quickly convinces him, and the generals Belisarius and Mundos take action. They imprison the rebels in the Hippodrome and literally slaughter them. The suppression of the "Stasis of Nica" on January 18, 532 left behind 30,000 dead.
Justinian was now firmly on his feet, and the next day he ordered the usurper Hypatius and his brother to be executed. Their property was confiscated, as was that of many nobles, who were exiled, because they had supported the rebellion. The imperial tenure of one of the greatest personalities of Byzantium, such as Justinian, began with the worst period of violence and anarchy that the Queen experienced.