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The Nika riots (Greek: Στάσις τοῦ Νίκα, romanized: Stásis toû Níka), Nika revolt or Nika sedition took place against Byzantine emperor Justinian I in Constantinople over the course of a week in 532 CE.
Feb 16, 2024 · The Nika Riots (Greek: Στάσις τοῦ Νίκα), erupting in January 532 AD, stand as a pivotal event in Byzantine history. Spanning a tumultuous week, they threatened the reign of Emperor Justinian I and exposed deep societal fissures within the empire’s capital, Constantinople.
Apr 15, 2024 · 395 AD: The Roman Empire is divided; Constantinople becomes the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. 532 AD: Nika riots devastate the city; Emperor Justinian I rebuilds Constantinople, including the Hagia Sophia.
The Byzantine capital was founded at Constantinople by Constantine I (r. 306-337). The Byzantine Empire varied in size over the centuries, at one time or another, possessing territories located in Italy, Greece, the Balkans, Levant, Asia Minor, and North Africa. More about: Byzantine Empire Timeline
- Mark Cartwright
- Publishing Director
- An Impregnable Fortress
- The Ottoman Empire
- The Defenders
- The Attackers
- A Fight For Survival
- Destruction
- Aftermath
Constantinople had withstood many sieges and attacks over the centuries, notably by the Arabs between 674 and 678 CE and again between 717 and 718 CE. The great Bulgar Khans Krum (r. 802-814 CE) and Symeon (r. 893-927 CE) both attempted to attack the Byzantine capital, as did the Rus (descendants of Vikings based around Kiev) in 860 CE, 941 CE, and...
The Ottoman Empire had begun as a small Turkish emirate founded by Osman in Eskishehir (western Asia Minor) in the late 13th century CE, but by the early 14th century CE, it had already expanded into Thrace. With their capital at Adrianople, further captures included Thessaloniki and Serbia. In 1396 CE, at Nikopolis on the Danube, an Ottoman army d...
The crushing of the Crusader army at Varna in 1444 CE meant that the Byzantines were now on their own. No significant help could be expected from the West where the Popes were already unimpressed with the Byzantine's unwillingness to form a union of the Church and accept their supremacy. The Venetians did send a paltry two ships and 800 men in Apri...
Mehmed II had one thing that previous besiegers of Constantinople had lacked: cannons. And they were big ones. The Byzantines had actually had first option on the cannons as they had been offered them by their inventor, the Hungarian engineer named Urban, but Constantine could not meet his asking price. Urban then peddled his expertise to the Sulta...
The onslaught went on for six weeks but there was some effective resistance. The Ottoman attack on the boom which blocked the city's harbour was repelled, as were several direct assaults on the Land Walls. On 20 April, miraculously, three Genoese ships sent by the Pope and a ship carrying vital grain sent by Alphonso of Aragon managed to break thro...
Chaos now ensued with some of the defenders maintaining their discipline and meeting the enemy while others rushed back to their homes to defend their own families. It is at this point that Constantine was killed in the action, most likely near the Gate of St. Romanos, although, as he had discarded any indications of his status to avoid his body be...
Constantinople was made the new Ottoman capital, the massive Golden Gate of the Theodosian Walls was made part of the castle treasury of Mehmed, while the Christian community was permitted to survive, guided by the bishop Gennadeios II. What was left of the old Byzantine empire was absorbed into Ottoman territory following the conquest of Mistra in...
- Mark Cartwright
In January 532, the riots began in Constantinople, which went down in history under the name of the revolt "Nika", i.e. "Victory". This slogan was chosen by the urban poor who were dissatisfied with the taxation of officials and the religious oppression of the zealous Christian Justinian.
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Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the late 5th century, Constantinople remained the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (also known as the Byzantine Empire; 330–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922).
