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What Turned the Constantinople Hippodrome Into a Slaughterhouse? - The Nika Riots and the Fall of Constantinople's Circus Factions | Sleepy Facts About History
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In January 532, the crowds of Constantinople discovered that the same chants used to cheer chariot races could be turned against an emperor. What began as a protest over two botched executions quickly united the city's rival chariot racing factions, the Blues and the Greens, into a massive political force. Over a terrifying week, they burned the city's most important buildings, including the original basilica of Hagia Sophia, and even proclaimed a rival emperor in the Hippodrome. This…
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