Constantinople as the “ἱπποδρόμιοσ” of the army’s struggle against factionists, rebels and citizens during the Nika uprising of 532

This article presents the actions of the imperial army during the Nika revolt. The first use of the army, confirmed by sources, took place on 14, 17, 18 January 532. The first, source- -confirmed, use of the army took place on 14 January. Fighting with the rebels under Belisarius continued until the evening and did not bring the expected results, the uprising continued and brought more and more destruction. On 17 January reinforcements arrived from the surrounding towns. As research shows, the mere appearance of a larger army in the city escalated tensions and paradoxically became the reason for its immediate use. The use of a larger force did not end the uprising and led to the greatest destruction since it began. The mercenaries under the command of Belisarius and Mundus proved to be the key foundation for maintaining Justinian the Great’s power in January 532, as they proved loyal to their superiors and the emperor, compared to the troops of the imperial guard. The source giving the most information about the warfare during the Nika uprising turned out to be the Chronicon Paschale, which details the account of, among others, John Malalas. The account of Procopius of Caesarea seems to be useful only in interpreting the operations of 18 January.