26. Ending a Riot With a Massacre
Once they had sufficiently riled themselves up in the Hippodrome, the crowd broke out and attacked the imperial palace, besieging it for the next five days. The rioters went on a rampage in which hundreds were killed. They started fires that grew out of control, and eventually burned half the Byzantine capital. Political elites opposed to the emperor steered the rioters into demanding his abdication. Amidst the anarchy, Justinian prepared to abdicate, but was shamed by his strong-willed wife, Theodora, into manning up. A plan was then hatched to restore order.
A eunuch employed by the emperor braved the crowds to enter the Hippodrome, the epicenter of the uprising, with a bag of gold. There, he met the leaders of the Blues, reminded them that Justinian was a Blues fan, and bribed them. The Greens were soon stunned when, at a signal from their leaders, the Blues stormed out of the Hippodrome. Before the Greens knew what was happening, thousands of soldiers stormed into the Hippodrome and began massacring its occupants. By the time they were done, over 30,000 had been killed, and the flames of the riot were doused with a river of blood.
