The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

236
EVAGRIUS
32 Justinian possessed another quality which surpassed the character
of any beast ^ whether this was a defect of nature, or the product of
cowardice and fear, I am unable to say; it took its origin from the
popular riot, the Nika. 98 For he appeared to be so utterly attached to
one of the factions, namely the Blues, that they even carried out
murders of their opponents in broad daylight and in the city centre;
not only did they not fear penalties, but they were even granted
rewards, so that many men therefore became assassins. They were also
able to attack houses and plunder the valuables stored inside and to
sell people their personal safety, and if any of the o⁄cials attempted
to prevent this he found his own safety in danger. 99 As a result, for
example, one who had charge of the Eastern realm, because he had
disciplined some of the rioters with whips, was himself lacerated with
whips and paraded about in the very centre of the city. 100 And as for
Callinicus, the governor of the Cilicians, because he had delivered to
the penalties of the laws two Cilician assassins, Paul and Faustinus,
who had jointly attacked him and wanted to do away with him, [182]
he was impaled and paid this penalty for a correct understanding and
the laws. 101 Hence those of the other faction, abandoning their homes,
were welcomed by no man, but rather were driven o¡ from everywhere
98 Justinian’s enthusiastic patronage for the Blues in fact long antedated the Nika Riot
in January 532 (for which see, iv.13), and he seems to have tolerated, if not encouraged, a
reign of terror under Justin I in order to intimidate possible rivals for the succession. In 527
he had issued an edict which attempted to restore peace in the cities (Malalas 422:15^21).
The massive casualties of the Nika Riot produced a period of relative calm in Constantinople,
but the last decade of Justinian’s reign was troubled by several disturbances.
For imperial cowardice, cf. criticisms of Zeno: iii.3, p. 100:15^19, and Justin II:vi. p. 196:1.
99 Justinian’s patronage of the Blue faction, and the violent behaviour he was prepared
to tolerate, are described at Procopius, Secret History 7. His bias is re£ected in the messages
sent to the factions in 565 by Justin II, to the Blues that Justinian was dead, and to the
Greens that he was still alive (Theophanes 243:4^9).
100 This incident involving a comes Orientis (rather than a praetorian prefect of the
East, as Festugie' re 394) is not otherwise recorded, perhaps because it occurred in Antioch
whereas almost all our information on the factions under Justinian is focused on Constantinople.
In a riot at Antioch under Anastasius in 507, the Greens disembowelled the praefectus
vigilum and dragged his corpse around the city, while the comes Orientis was forced to
£ee for his life (Malalas 395:20^398:4).
101 Callinicus, governor of Second Cilicia: PLRE III. 260, s.v. Callinicus 1. Procopius,
Secret History 17.2^4, blamed Theodora for the revenge, which Justinian pretended to
lament (though he still con¢scated Callinicus’ property).