b"Chariot racing was a dangerous and violent sport at the best of times, but on 13th January, 532, a hooligan-led protest at the Hippodrome of Constantinople - known as \\u2018the Nika rebellion\\u2019 - ultimately lead to over 30,000 deaths and the destruction of half the City.\\xa0\\nUpon hearing his wife urge him that \\u2018royalty is a good burial shroud\\u2019, the Emperor Justinian reportedly decided to slaughter his own people to maintain his position of power. Yet, despite this, he was ultimately deemed to have earned his epithet: \\u2018The Great\\u2019.\\xa0\\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unearth the tradition of \\u2018curse tablets\\u2019; explain why Empress Theodora switched allegiances from the \\u2018greens\\u2019 to the \\u2018blues\\u2019; and reveal how a eunuch wielding gold coins helped to stabilise the Byzantine empire\\u2026\\nFurther Reading:\\n\\n\\u2018Overview of the Nika Revolt\\u2019 (ThoughtCo, 2019):\\xa0https://www.thoughtco.com/the-nika-revolt-1788557\\n\\n\\nDeadly Moments in History - The Nika Riots (Invicta, 2018):\\xa0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm9mscL2qHU\\n\\n\\n\\u201812 Historic Little Known Rebellions with Tragic and Bloody Ends\\u2019 (History Collection, 2017):\\xa0https://historycollection.com/12-historic-little-known-rebellions-tragic-bloody-ends/9/\\n\\n\\n\\nFor bonus material and to support the show, visit\\xa0Patreon.com/Retrospectors\\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts:\\xa0podfollow.com/Retrospectors\\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.\\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.\\n#Medieval #Sport\\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"