> [!alert] > Note: I hated this article so much that I wrote [[Chariot Racing Story]] basically as a seething retort. ## Highlights ### q1 Law code size does not correlate with strong social order > Sixth-century Constantinople was far from a place of anarchy, however. It was one of the most sophisticated cities on the planet, with a social order underpinned by a vast legal code I disagree with the implications of this statement so much my teeth hurt, but on the other hand, it probably wouldn't have occurred to me if I hadn't read this quote, so it was good for something at least. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjad9jstge9zyky5r1r3b2n7) ### q2 the popularity of chariot racing declined > Around a century after the Nika Riots, the sport of chariot racing was in terminal decline. That was anything but inevitable. It had already enjoyed a key cultural role in the ancient world for over a millennium. Its glorious era at Rome’s Circus Maximus was transported to the hippodrome of Constantinople, where it enjoyed several more centuries in the limelight. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjadaaahc9h740q7e2atsk71) ### q3 Byzantine chariot-racing evoked fanaticism > Chariot-racing fans were, well, fanatical. Packing the great arenas to cheer on their favourite faction (team) was just one part of it. Merchandise such as statuettes of famous charioteers were popular, and curse tablets have been discovered on which fans would implore gods to wreak all manner of injustice and havoc on an opposition faction. Idolatry was granted to the brave charioteers, along with money that is staggering even in comparison to the earnings of modern sportspeople. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjadap5gt9hnmvxgkwn9k6a7) ### q4 Emperors probably really did enjoy sports > The popularity of chariot racing was so extreme, however, that it would be wrong to think cynical emperors were merely orchestrating spectacles for an intellectually vacant populace. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjadb680q4ey4zwz3sv9berv) > Choosing which faction to side with became a major political decision for emperors. The varied conclusions they came to supports the idea there was no obvious social or religious dividing lines between the factions. Theodosius II (408–50) was an enthusiastic supporter of the Greens and changed the seating arrangements at the hippodrome to favour them. His successor Marcian then grew weary of the faction arrogantly thinking they could have everything their own way and barred all Greens from public office. Anastasius tried to stay neutral after taking the throne in 491 as Greens and Blues continued to bicker and riot. He eventually decided that the safest bet was to declare his support for a much less popular faction, the Reds. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjadd9xcz0s9nk4bt29cqcjz) ### q5 Byzantine chariot-racing evoked violence > Casual violence began to become more associated with chariot racing from the fourth century, however, and continued as Constantinople assumed Rome’s mantle. By the late fifth century, gangs formed within groups of fans that resemble modern-day football ultras. Several high-profile riots occurred during the reign of the Emperor Anastasius (491–518). The toll of several of these events was significant, with around 3,000 fans of the Blue faction killed in an ambush from fans of the Green faction in 501, but still there had been nothing quite on the scale of the Nika Riots. > > Justinian as a co-emperor instigated a crackdown on faction-related rioting across the Empire - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjadj29ccrxkasqy4m3v831j) ### q6 the Nika riots were > That actual events were between the two contrasting portrayals seems a prudent assumption. As ludicrous as some of the details in the critique of Procopius are, that Justinian indulged the Blue faction more than he should have, despite attempts to curb the worst excesses, seems the likely kernel of truth around which his wild accusations could revolve. IDK man in 2020 I'm a lot less willing to believe "the truth is somewhere in the middle" when faced with WILD AND CRAZY PROPAGANDA and "the political leader seemed to be trying to do his job." #nonfic/addendum - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjadjh3p2hy96aqtjdbzcw45) ### q7 big crowds are powerful > A crowd of up to 100,000 people cried out for the release of the two convicts at the hippodrome the following Tuesday, and the unique scene then unravelled of the Blues and the Greens uniting in a call for justice. *Nika* (νίκα, the Greek imperative for “win!”) became the slogan of their struggle. Having failed to gain a response from the emperor, they simply took matters into their own hands. They marched that evening to the praetorium of the city prefect, burnt the building down and released the two prisoners held inside there. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjadzhvy851axrqy1fr8phqs) ### q8 Justinian gave in to rioters > After all of this, Justinian showed a bizarre level of blind optimism by deciding to continue with more planned racing on the Wednesday. It didn’t go well. No doubt sensing the weakness of the emperor, the supporters torched the hippodrome and made new demands. They called for the dismissal of three key imperial officials, and as the disturbances continued, Justinian eventually acquiesced. > > Relenting in the face of fierce violence failed to stop the riots there though. Justinian had cut away much of his own authority with his slow and botched response, and after attempts were made to depose him for Probus, he had to battle to get it any of it back. This led to widespread destruction as troops engaged rioters and a mass slaughter of Greens in the hippodrome after the emperor had bought the Blues back to his side with gold coins. Whoa this is some SERIOUS echoes of modern politics. Is this just a weirdly inevitable thing whenever you have a big empire? Need to #nonfic/article this more but could be a good #nonfic/addendum question or maybe even one for AskHistorains - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjae1sfextextc8ebxphwgft) ### q9 riots are hard to stop > The eruption of violence was organic. That the rioters did not stop after their demands were accepted shows that they were largely motivated by the power of their own destructive force. oh for fuck's sake. Or maybe they were experiencing deep anger at the state of politics or something. The biases are strong in this one! - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjae4hk5zc2kam9z5zvefpea) ### q10 military skills do not equal riot control skills > It is worth considering how an emperor who was known to be studious and enjoyed considerable military success could miscalculate so spectacularly. A firm response either to free the convicts or crush trouble at its first sign would probably have avoided such a calamitous outcome. Because politicians never take "the rabble" seriously, perhaps? I completely fail to see what being a good military strategist has to do with being good at managing rioters. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjaeabr4zax944tmp3y394wf) ### q11 factional divisions can doom popular uprisings > The ending of the riots showed that while the unity between the Blues and Greens made the trouble so threatening, the division between the factions, imaginary as it was in many ways, came back to doom the uprising. Justinian’s grand chamberlain, the eunuch Narses, warned the Blues that a Green was about to take to the throne and bought their loyalty with gold coins, isolating the Greens, who were promptly slaughtered in cold blood. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjaegpxx0ke609s3ewkzaknw) ### q12 riots can arise out of nowhere > In an era when protest movements can seem to develop rather suddenly, it is worth considering what lessons may be drawn from the remarkable events of Constantinople in 532. One that may frighten leaders in any age is the incredible momentum the riots developed. Given that there was no major existential threat to the Byzantine Empire at the time, it is difficult to ground the violence in a particular historical context. The spectacular failure of Justinian to get a grip on events is a lesson to heed in any crisis situation. Being ahead of events and making firm and clearly communicated decisions are all key. Indecision in the hope that things blow over does not help. Are you really gonna extrapolate all that from ONE incident? That's just bad methodology I'm so appalled. What if counterexamples exist where you can just ignore something and it goes away and does blow over??!?! - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjaeh5ctxdzm7vdevjxsscwk) ### q13 organized sports fandoms are politically useful > If Procopius’ portrayal of the sinister power of the Blue faction has a modicum of truth, Justinian also seems to have fallen into a trap of a poor, or at least unreliable, choice of political bedfellows. Their influence on the streets of Constantinople must have been extremely useful to the future emperor when he was an heir to his uncle Justin’s throne and was thus seeking to secure a platform of power. Really? "Must" it have been? I thought he spent a bunch of time trying to stop race-related petty crime? - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjaeq5ysz959d3c4dpr7d369) ### q14 the Nika riots did not doom Justinian's reign > While the disaster of the riots pushed him to the brink, the wider record of Justinian’s reign provides a cheerful footnote: however astonishing a setback is, you can work to redeem yourself. Are you shitting me? The rest of his reign is a FOOTNOTE? to these riots? - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fjaetsk98qzna0h8rrwgws4w)