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How did Theodora help Justinian I survive the Nika revolt?

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Mosaic detail of Emperor Justinian I with a jeweled crown and halo, wearing ornate robes, from the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. — Justinian I Justinian I, detail of a mosaic in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.

During the Nika revolt of 532, Empress Theodora played a decisive role in ensuring the survival of Justinian I and his reign. As the rioting factions—the Blues and the Greens—united against the government and proclaimed a rival emperor, Justinian’s advisers urged him to flee the city to save his life.12

Theodora refused to yield, famously advising the emperor to stay and fight to preserve his empire rather than flee into exile. Her resolve stiffened Justinian’s position, leading him to order his general, Belisarius, to take action. Belisarius subsequently trapped the rebels within the Hippodrome and suppressed the uprising by slaughtering approximately 30,000 of them. This decisive intervention effectively ended the revolt and allowed Justinian to rule more firmly in the years that followed.12