المقاومة الشعبية في القسطنطينية ضد الهون عام 558-559 م

الملخص EN

The people of Constantinople had defended their city against various dangers in many instances, such as the attack of the Huns in 558-559 AD.

At the time, Emperor Justinian was compiled by the debilitated Empire to organize the armies required to defend the city and protect its walls.

Despite the strained circumstances, the people and the troops had cooperated in repelling this attack.

For example, there was a small platoon of knights, about 300, a group of men from various squads of the imperial guard, whose mission was to defend the gates and neighborhoods, and another group to protect the walls and towers of the capital.

The dominant feature of these contingents was that most of them were either non-combatant or irregular forces.

Significantly, most defenders were peasants, civil guards, volunteer knights, Senators, and some retired leaders.

Each group had played an enthusiastic and patriotic role in defending the state and its capital.

Furthermore, the members of the four- sports teams in Byzantium, players or fans, had participated in this resistance, whether through their financial donations to maintain and repair the walls or by guarding them.

Moreover, Senators' participation had raised the morale.

The Emperor and the wealthy families had provided the volunteer knights with proper horses.

In fact, the cohesion and the mobilization shown by the manifold people of Constantinople in the face of the crisis reflected their faithful concern for the capital, which was the symbol of the country.

Their solidarity could be also considered as a form of popular resistance.

Nevertheless, as soon as the danger was over, people's coalescence was diminished.

During the second half of the seventh century AD, the political and popular role of the Constantinople groups gradually faded away; since the nature of the new external dangers, which threatened Byzantium then, imposed other means consistent with this historical stage.