Political and social roles of the factions of hippodrome between Theodosios II and Herakleios period (408-641)

Hippodrome, was uppermost among the structures of Constantinople, that was the capital of Byzantine Empire, had been situated at the center of entertainment, culture and political events since the beginning of the empire. At the hippodrome, which was a venue that hosts many important events, Blues and Greens factions, that was sports fan groups and responsible for games and races, had a crucial position during the early Byzantine era. This study aims at examine the political and social effects and roles of circus factions between era's of Theodosios II (408-450) and Herakleios (610-641), which are still being discussed by historians. While emphasizing the importance of factions in this period, the political and social content of the riots, urban banditry and violent acts that they caused and the reasons behind these events were researched. In addition concerning the role of factions as intermediaries between people and the emperor at the hippodrome and whether there was any political aspects, importance and goals of factions were examined. It comes to a conclusion that factions do not have a specific political agenda, however they did play an active role in political, social and cultural life in the Byzantine Empire.