 Justinian 's habit of choosing efficient , but unpopular advisers nearly cost him his throne early in his reign . In January 532 , partisans of the chariot racing factions in Constantinople , normally divided among themselves , united against Justinian in a revolt that has become known as the Nika riots . They forced him to dismiss Tribonian and two of his other ministers , and then attempted to overthrow Justinian himself and replace him with the senator Hypatius , who was a nephew of the late emperor Anastasius . While the crowd was rioting in the streets , Justinian considered fleeing the capital , but eventually decided to stay , apparently on the prompting of Theodora , who refused to leave . In the next two days , he ordered the brutal suppression of the riots by his generals Belisarius and Mundus . Procopius relates that 30 @,@ 000 unarmed civilians were killed in the Hippodrome . On Theodora 's insistence , and apparently against his own judgment , Justinian had Anastasius ' nephews executed . 
