Editing Justinian I (section)

===Nika riots===
{{Main|Nika riots}}
[[File:Diptych Barberini Louvre OA9063 whole.jpg|thumb|The [[Barberini Ivory]], thought to portray either Justinian or [[Anastasius I (emperor)|Anastasius&nbsp;I]]]]

In January 532, partisans of the [[chariot racing]] factions in Constantinople, normally rivals, united against Justinian in a revolt that has become known as the [[Nika riots]]. They forced him to dismiss [[Tribonian]] and two of his other ministers, and then attempted to overthrow Justinian himself and replace him with the senator [[Hypatius (consul 500)|Hypatius]], who was a nephew of the late emperor [[Anastasius I (emperor)|Anastasius]]. While the crowd was rioting in the streets, Justinian considered fleeing the capital by sea, but eventually decided to stay, apparently on the prompting of his wife Theodora, who refused to leave. In the next two days, he ordered the brutal suppression of the riots by his generals Belisarius and [[Mundus (general)|Mundus]]. Procopius relates that 30,000<ref name="riot">J. Norwich, ''Byzantium: The Early Centuries'', 200</ref> unarmed civilians were killed in the Hippodrome. Justinian had Anastasius' nephews executed.{{efn|According to one source, this came at Theodora's insistence, and apparently against his own judgment.<ref> Pseudo-Zachariah of Mytilene, ''Syriac Chronicle'' 9.14; Diehl, Charles. ''Theodora, Empress of Byzantium'' ((c) 1972 by Frederick Ungar Publishing, Inc., transl. by S.R. Rosenbaum from the original French ''Theodora, Imperatice de Byzance''), 89.</ref>}}<ref>Vasiliev (1958), p. 157.</ref>

The destruction that took place during the revolt provided Justinian with an opportunity to carry out his building program in Constantinople, most notably the architectural innovation of the domed [[Hagia Sophia]].{{sfn|Evans|2005|p=116}}