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Text | Historic Exploration
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There were many factors of instability within the Byzantine Empire under Justinian:
Popular riots, riots by competitive parties, and rebellions from the military were constantly undermined by political, economic, and religious issues, and the Nika Rebellion was a storm that nearly overthrew the Justinian dynasty.
In the face of the turmoil of the empire, Belisarius stood firmly in the position of the ruler and actively assisted and defended. He was personally involved in many important events, helping Justinian to put down various internal and external rebellions.
His political loyalty to Justinian was unquestionable, and he played the role of a defender of stability and order.
Turmoil in the Empire and Instability in RuleJustinian's nearly forty years of rule in Byzantium, there were many internal turmoil within the empire, which adversely affected the stability of the rule and the implementation of the imperial strategy.
For a brief overview of the internal turmoil in Byzantium under Justinian, see the following table:
A trigger for unrest within the Empire
1. Corruption of the bureaucracy
Although Justinian ruled the country diligently during his tenure and issued a number of decrees to regulate administrative officials, including prohibiting the sale of official titles, severely punishing corrupt officials, and tightening tax policies, the problem of official corruption was not effectively cured.
At the same time, in order to meet the financial needs of the government's large-scale construction and the perennial use of troops, he had to appoint officials who were extremely corrupt.
Such corruption is not an individual act, but a widespread practice. The same was true of the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Holy Treasury and the Imperial Estate, and all those who served as government officials in Constantinople and other cities.
Among the military bureaucracy, such a phenomenon is also not uncommon. The generals of the army were corrupt and deducted military salaries.
Serious bureaucratic corruption led to numerous popular unrest, and the Nika Rebellion was the beginning of the angry Athletic Party and the populace rallying a demand for severe punishment of the corrupt officials of Constantinople, John and Tribonian.
The crisis caused by bureaucratic corruption directly threatened the stability of the rule and became one of the major triggers of civil strife in the Byzantine Empire.
2. Sharp religious contradictions
As a Christian nation, there was a sectarian divide within the empire for a long time.
Heresy sects such as the Unitarians, Arians, and Nestorians were incompatible with the Tsarcidonian sect supported by Justinian, and relations between Constantinople and the Holy See were strained.
During the reign of Justinian, he and Theodora were Tsalsidonians and Unitarians, respectively.
Therefore, although Justinian actively reconciled with the Holy See and issued decrees rejecting the Unitarian sect, due to the empress's covert support, the controversy over sectarianism within the empire intensified, and the civil strife caused by religious contradictions spread throughout the empire.
Procopius records that "the persecution of the Samaritans and heretics caused the Roman Empire to shed blood. "The civil strife in the border areas due to religious issues is particularly prominent at this time.
3. The deterioration of the living conditions of the population and soldiers
Many scholars have pointed out that the economy in the late Justinian era was not as active as it was in the early days, but rather experienced a recession.
In Constantinople and other cities, Justinian slashed the incomes and benefits of ordinary people due to poor economic conditions. In addition to the general population, the injustice against soldiers is particularly prominent.
The declining standard of living of the population and soldiers has caused widespread discontent.
4. The effects of the Great Plague in the Justinian Empire
In 542 AD, the Great Plague of Justinian had a great impact on the Byzantine Empire.
The plague raged in the imperial capital for four months, killing 5,000 people a day at its peak, and later exceeding 10,000. It is estimated that Constantinople lost about a third of its population as a result.
The number of deaths from the plague and the resulting economic and political collapse have reduced fiscal revenues by at least a quarter.
The epidemic caused large-scale chaos and famine, and "the whole society was in a state of chaos and disorder."
Not only that, but the plague soon spread to the court, and even the emperor Justinian was not spared. When the emperor was bedridden and the empire was troubled internally and externally, a large number of rumors that the emperor had died of illness and palace conspiracies to appoint a new king spread widely, and the crisis of imperial rule was further deepened.
The Great Plague caused a large loss of the Byzantine population, which in turn directly adversely affected the political stability of the Byzantine Empire, and the centralized rule of the Byzantine Empire was directly impacted.
5. The continuation of the popular restrictions on the power of the monarch in ancient Rome
During the reign of Justinian, the emperor's repeated suppression of the power of the Senate made the power of the nobility suppressed as much as possible, but it did not mean that the power of the commoners during this period also disappeared.
Popular demands were raised through spontaneous riots and even riots. In particular, the political forces, led by the Athletic Party, have caused large-scale riots on several occasions and disrupted the normal social order in the capital.
The pinnacle of the Athletic Party's provocation to imperial power was the outbreak of the Nika Revolt, whose final suppression, Ostrogersky argued, marked the victory of the Byzantine dictatorship over the Athletic Party, the last remnant of civil liberties in antiquity.
Unrest category
1. Army rebellion
Military unrest was undoubtedly one of the most severe of the empire's civil strife.
During the reign of Justinian, there were more than a dozen rebellions and riots of a certain scale. From the mutiny of the soldiers guarding Lazica, to the repeated surrenders of the defenders of the Roman city, there were often serious repercussions.
Rebellions generally took place on the frontiers of the empire, such as the Byzantine-Persian fronts in the east, or in the newly conquered regions of Africa and Italy.
The main body of the rebellion was the soldiers who had been in arrears from the government for a long time, and on the other hand, the barbarian soldiers and other soldiers of heretical beliefs who were strictly religiously controlled by the government.
In addition to this, there are also generals who want to establish a monk-led regime, commanders who defect to the enemy due to various factors, and officers and soldiers who are afraid of punishment if they are not in good hands.
2. Athletic Party riots
During Justinian's reign, there were no less than a dozen riots caused by the Athletic Party.
Riots in the Athletic Party are usually caused after a game, so some scholars have equated this type of riot with the wanton riots in football today, but this is limited to smaller ones.
When riots break out in large competitive parties, they often put forward certain political demands, such as punishing corrupt officials and demanding increased subsidies.
Riots often turn on each other, setting fires in the streets of the capital, and sometimes conspiring to incite the population, often with serious consequences.
Justinian and Theodora supported the Blue and Green parties of the Athletic Party in the capital, with the Blues generally supporting or representing the court nobility, high-ranking officials, and Tsarcidonians, while the Greens represented ordinary citizens and hereticals, respectively.
In general, the riots of the Athletic Party were mainly based on venting grievances and making demands.
3. Rebellion of conquered regions and vassal states
Such rebellions are dominated by the Lazika in the eastern border.
As a vassal state, the king of Lazika and his people often rebelled against the oppression of the emperor's officials and the encroachments they had suffered in commercial trade.
The most direct consequence of the rebellion in these regions was that the borders of the Byzantine Empire were never finalized, and they also played a huge role in the destruction of the region.
4. Popular unrest
The impact of the civil unrest cannot be ignored.
In the 6th century, the Byzantine Empire was so populous that "at that time Constantinople, the most populous city in the world, had at least 400,000 inhabitants, Antiochus about 200,000, and Alexandria and Thessaloniki about 100,000." ”
Due to the sheer number of people, the consequences of the mass unrest caused by the population are also very serious.
They often started riots because basic demands were not met, such as a shortage of bread in Constantinople, or complaints about dissatisfaction with the emperor's decrees.
But it is worth noting that the popular unrest in Constantinople was very wide-ranging, and sometimes even women joined in.
5. Court intrigue
Although there were zero successful court conspiracies during the Justinian period, there were quite a few that were uncovered or aborted in the middle of the plan.
There were no less than three rumors of a rebellion by Belisarius, rumors spread inside and outside the imperial court after the plague of Zarstinian, and a coup d'état led by Atabanes and Assazes in the Common Era.
Since the initiators of the conspiracy were often in important positions, with higher social status and greater power, the court conspiracy, although relatively small in terms of audience compared to the above-mentioned types of turmoil, was a major threat to the stability of imperial rule.
In general, the causes of unrest within the Byzantine Empire were complex, diverse in types and subjects, and they were intertwined and evolved into large-scale violent conflicts. Such riots were devastating and widespread, with the Nika Riot being the most famous example.
Belisarius in the riot
1. Suppression of the Nika riots
The Nika revolt took place at the time of Belisarius's defeat at the Battle of Kalinikum, and he was removed from his post and recalled to remain in the capital. Despite this, his position in the court and his loyalty to the emperor seem to have been retained.
Helping Justinian suppress the Nika rebellion meant a lot to Belisarius.
Considering his relatively ordinary background and his mediocre performance in the early days of the war against Persia, some scholars have analyzed that if it had not been for the Nika rebellion that occurred the following year, Belisarius's career might have been extinguished.
After the riots, he led his army to suppress them several times. According to historical records, Justinian himself was present during the purge on January 18, and Belisarius's every move was watched by the emperor.
He was not only the greatest contributor to the capture of the rebel leader and the end of the Nika rebellion, but also showed his loyalty to the emperor at a critical moment, and his determination to maintain the existing ruling order, and he also showed the bravery and agility of a soldier in the suppression.
It can be said that this unexpected event became an important opportunity in his political career, and the following year, the emperor appointed him to march to Africa as the supreme commander of the Vandal expeditionary force.
2. Suppression of the Libyan mutiny
In addition to suppressing the Nika rebellion, Belisarius's most important action in maintaining Justinian's order was to quell the Libyan Mutiny, which was also the largest mutiny in the Justinian dynasty.
Bury thinks that in the beginning, it was a good job to maintain effective control over the local population. Soon after, however, the emperor, who had been immersed in the success of the imperial strategy, soon turned his attention to the more expansive and affluent Italy.
Obviously, Justinian, whose primary task at this time was to develop a strategy for the conquest of Italy, did not pay much attention to the lives of the soldiers and local people stationed in North Africa, which gradually caused widespread discontent.
The suppression of the Libyan rebellion was only a minor episode in Belisarius' lifelong campaign. In general, the merit for pacifying Libya should not be attributed to him.
His military campaign was not often mentioned because of the fact that he carried out only a small deterrent in the early stages of the rebellion, and that his post-war connivance with the soldiers' looting was at odds with his strict prohibition of the Vandal's early days of the war, and at odds with his usual image of integrity.
But in the big picture, Belisarius's action is significant.
3. Belisarius's role in maintaining the rule of the Empire
Belisarius's role in maintaining the ruling order of the empire was positive. First, the stability of Justinian's reign was ensured.
Secondly, to ensure the smooth implementation of Justinian's military strategy.
Justinian's relentless planning of his imperial strategy was met with opposition from many quarters, including from great nobles such as John of Cappadocia to many of the populace.
summary
Justinian's accession to the throne marked the beginning of a new page in the Byzantine Empire.
Under the new political climate and the need for military defense, Belisarius's loyalty and ability won the favor of Justinian, and he became the most powerful supporter of Justinian's strategy to restore the ancient Roman Empire.
Belisarius's fame has endured to generations to come, from historians after Procopius to medieval Western European legends, from poems and novels in praise of him to countless paintings, statues and plays.
bibliography
[1] Chen Zhiqiang, "A Study on the Secret History of the Examination of Byzantine Officials in the Sixth Century", Studies in Western Studies (Volume I), 2003.
[2] Chen Zhijing, "A Study on the Byzantine Athletic Party Riots in the 5th-6th Centuries: A Case Study of the Nika Riots in 532", Master's thesis, School of History, Nankai University, 2012.
[3] Cui Yanhong, "Procobi's Historical Perspective on History: Taking the War Record as the Object of Analysis", Western Studies (Second Edition), 2006.
[4] Gu Jian, "The Story of Belisarius and Narciss: The Rebirth of Rome (I) - The Reconquest of North Africa by the Eastern Roman Empire", International Outlook, February 2006, No. 534.
[5] Gu Jian, "The Story of Belisarius and Narciss: The Rebirth of Rome (China)—The Expedition of the Eastern Roman Empire to Italy", International Outlook, March 2006, No. 535.
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