Byzantine Culture

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The Hippodrome of Constantinople

Explore the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the great stadium that was the social and political heart of the Byzantine capital. Learn about the chariot races, the factions, the famous Nika Riots, and its role in public life.

The Hippodrome of Constantinople was the social and political heart of the Byzantine capital for more than a thousand years. The great stadium, located in the center of the city, was the site of the chariot races, the most popular public entertainment of the Byzantine world, and it was also the site of the most important political events, including the proclamations of emperors and the outbreaks of popular revolts. The Hippodrome was a major architectural and artistic monument, decorated with famous statues and monuments, and it was the setting for some of the most dramatic events in the history of Constantinople.

The study of the Hippodrome is, in many ways, the study of the public life of Constantinople, since the stadium was the principal setting for the public events that shaped the political and social life of the city. The Hippodrome was the place where the people of Constantinople came into contact with the emperor, where the factions waged their political battles, and where the great revolts began. To study the Hippodrome is to study the most important public space in the Byzantine world, and to understand the civilization that it represented.

The Building of the Hippodrome

The Roman Origins

The Hippodrome of Constantinople was built by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus in the early third century, when the city was still a small Greek colony called Byzantion. The original Hippodrome was a typical Roman circus, modeled on the Circus Maximus in Rome, and it was used for chariot races and other public entertainments. The Hippodrome was enlarged by the emperor Constantine the Great in the early fourth century, when he refounded the city as Constantinople, and it became one of the largest public buildings in the Roman world.

The Hippodrome was built in the form of a long, narrow stadium, with one rounded end and one straight end. The racing track, the spina, was a long barrier that ran down the center of the stadium, and the racing was done around the spina, with the chariots racing in opposite directions. The stadium could seat perhaps 30,000 spectators, and it was the largest public building in Constantinople.

The Hippodrome was decorated with a number of famous monuments and statues, many of which were brought from the ends of the empire to adorn the new capital. The most famous of these was the Serpent Column, a bronze column that had been made from the spoils of the Persian victory at Plataea in 479 BC, and that had originally stood at Delphi. The Serpent Column was brought to Constantinople by Constantine, and it became one of the most famous monuments of the city. Other monuments included the obelisk of Theodosius, an Egyptian obelisk that was brought from Karnak, and a number of bronze statues of famous figures from antiquity.

The Christian Transformation

The Hippodrome was transformed in the Christian period, and the ancient monuments were integrated into the new Christian context. The obelisks and the columns, which had originally been pagan monuments, were reinterpreted as Christian symbols, and the Hippodrome became a setting for the imperial ceremonies and the public events of the Christian empire.

The most important Christian addition to the Hippodrome was the kathisma, the imperial box, which was built by Constantine and which was connected to the imperial palace by a private passage. The kathisma allowed the emperor to attend the events in the Hippodrome without mixing with the public, and it was the setting for the most important imperial ceremonies, including the coronations and the triumphal entries of the emperors. The kathisma was located on the eastern end of the Hippodrome, overlooking the track, and it was the most prominent feature of the stadium.

The Chariot Races

The Races and the Charioteers

The chariot races were the principal event in the Hippodrome, and they were the most popular form of public entertainment in the Byzantine world. The races were held on a regular schedule, and they attracted thousands of spectators, who came to watch the chariots race around the spina, with the teams representing the different factions.

The chariot racing was a dangerous sport, and the charioteers were professional athletes who competed for prize money and for the glory of the factions. The most famous of the Byzantine charioteers, including figures like Porphyrius and Constantine, were celebrated in the popular songs and stories, and they were the subject of intense public interest. The charioteers were often slaves or freedmen, and they came from all parts of the empire and beyond, including Africa, Germany, and the East.

The chariot races were conducted with elaborate ceremonies, and the atmosphere in the Hippodrome was often electric, with the crowds cheering for their favorites and shouting the slogans of the factions. The races were not only a form of entertainment but also a form of social and political expression, and the factions, the Blues and the Greens, used the races as an occasion for the expression of their political and social views.

The Factions

The factions of the Hippodrome, the Blues and the Greens, were the most important social and political organizations in the Byzantine world. The factions had originated as supporters of different charioteers in the Hippodrome, but they had evolved by the sixth century into something close to political parties, with their own patrons, hierarchies, and ideologies.

The Blues were generally associated with the court, the aristocracy, and the orthodox religious faction. They wore blue ribbons and they were supported by the imperial household. The Greens were associated with the merchants, the lower classes, and often the Monophysite Christians. They wore green ribbons and they were supported by a wide range of social groups, including the peasants, the workers, and the lower clergy.

The factions had a long history of violence, and they often clashed with each other and with the imperial authorities. The factions had their own patrons, who funded their activities, and their own leaders, who organized their support. The factions also had a strong sense of corporate identity, with members of the same faction supporting each other in the courts, in the markets, and in the streets.

The Great Events

The Imperial Ceremonies

The Hippodrome was the setting for the most important imperial ceremonies of the Byzantine Empire. The coronations of the emperors were held in the Hippodrome, with the emperor seated in the kathisma and the people acclaiming the new ruler. The triumphal entries of victorious emperors were also held in the Hippodrome, with the emperor processing through the city and entering the stadium to the acclamation of the people.

The Hippodrome was also the setting for the imperial donations, in which the emperor distributed money, bread, and other gifts to the people. The imperial donations were a major element of the imperial ceremonial, and they were a powerful expression of the relationship between the emperor and the people. The imperial donations were held on the major feasts of the year, especially Easter, and they were a major expense for the imperial treasury.

The most famous of the imperial events in the Hippodrome was the celebration of the victory of the emperor over the enemies of the empire. The most elaborate of these celebrations was the triumph of the emperor Basil II, the Bulgar-Slayer, who celebrated his victory over the Bulgarian Empire in the early eleventh century. The triumph of Basil II was a major event in the history of the empire, and it was one of the most elaborate imperial ceremonies ever held in the Hippodrome.

The Revolts

The Hippodrome was also the setting for some of the most important popular revolts in the history of Constantinople. The most famous of these was the Nika Riots of 532, which began in the Hippodrome as a confrontation between the Blues and the Greens, but which quickly turned into a general revolt against the imperial government. The revolt threatened to topple the throne of Emperor Justinian I, and it was only the personal intervention of the emperor and the famous speech of Empress Theodora that saved the throne.

The Nika Riots were not the only popular revolt in the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome was the setting for a number of other revolts, including the revolt of 602, which led to the overthrow of the emperor Maurice, and the revolt of 987, which led to the elevation of the general Bardas Phokas. The revolts were a regular feature of Byzantine public life, and they were a powerful expression of the political role of the people of Constantinople.

The Hippodrome in the Late Period

The Decline

The Hippodrome continued to function as a public space for centuries after the Nika Riots, but it gradually declined in importance. The chariot races continued to be held, but they became less frequent, and the factions gradually lost their political power. The Hippodrome was also damaged by a number of earthquakes and fires, and it was gradually abandoned in the later Byzantine period.

The Hippodrome was, however, the setting for some of the most important events of the late Byzantine period, including the proclamation of the emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos after the recapture of Constantinople in 1261. The Hippodrome was also the setting for the coronation of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI, in 1449, just a few years before the fall of the city to the Ottomans.

The Hippodrome was finally abandoned after the Ottoman conquest of 1453. The Ottoman sultan Mehmed II converted the Hippodrome into a market and a public square, and the famous monuments, including the Serpent Column and the obelisk of Theodosius, were preserved. The Hippodrome remains a public space today, and the monuments of the Hippodrome are major tourist attractions in modern Istanbul.

The Surviving Monuments

The most important of the surviving monuments of the Hippodrome is the obelisk of Theodosius, an Egyptian obelisk that was brought from the temple of Amun at Karnak and that was erected in the Hippodrome in 390. The obelisk, which is made of pink granite from Aswan, is about 25 meters tall, and it is covered with hieroglyphs celebrating the victories of the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III. The obelisk is one of the most important surviving monuments of the Hippodrome, and it is a major witness to the wealth and the reach of the Roman and Byzantine empires.

The second most important of the surviving monuments is the Serpent Column, the bronze column that was made from the spoils of the Persian victory at Plataea in 479 BC. The column originally supported a golden tripod, which was dedicated to the god Apollo at Delphi. The column was brought to Constantinople by Constantine, and it was erected in the Hippodrome, where it became one of the most famous monuments of the city. The column is now only a fragment, with the three serpent heads missing, but the surviving portion is still a major witness to the ancient heritage of the city.

The third important monument of the Hippodrome is the Walled Obelisk, a stone obelisk that was erected in the Hippodrome in the tenth century. The obelisk is covered with relief carvings depicting the imperial family and the imperial victories, and it is one of the most important surviving examples of Byzantine monumental art. The Walled Obelisk is now partly collapsed, but the surviving portion is a major witness to the Byzantine heritage of the city.

Conclusion

The Hippodrome of Constantinople was the social and political heart of the Byzantine capital for more than a thousand years, and it was the setting for some of the most important events in the history of the Byzantine Empire. The great stadium, with its chariot races, its factions, its imperial ceremonies, and its popular revolts, was the place where the public life of Constantinople was played out, and it was a major element of the Byzantine cultural and political tradition. The Hippodrome was finally abandoned after the Ottoman conquest of 1453, but the surviving monuments, including the obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column, and the Walled Obelisk, are major witnesses to the long and rich history of the stadium. The study of the Hippodrome is, in this sense, the study of one of the most important public spaces in the history of civilization, and it is essential for understanding the Byzantine world.

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