Fall of Empires

Chapter 36

So this was what triumph felt like, Nicetas reflected as he entered the hippodrome to be greeted by a wall of sound. The baying acclamation of the crowd made the very air shake as he guided his quadriga through the starting gates which were all flung open and out into the arena. He had chafed through the interminable service of thanksgiving in St Sophia for the city's deliverance from the Avars and Persians and had instead looked forward to relishing this moment. The parade had set off from the Golden Gate, from where the smoke could still be seen rising in the distance across the blackened landscape, marking the route of the Avars' petulant retreat. Along the Mese they had ridden in celebration of their victory, through cheering crowds to the Forum of Constantine where they had paused to offer up fresh prayers of thanks in the shadow of the statue of the city's founder who had looked down sternly from atop his pillar. 

On then to the hippodrome the procession had wound through the streets, cheered to the echo by the holiday crowds. At last the citizens packed into that great arena gave bellowing thanks for their salvation as Nicetas rode triumphant into their midst at the head of the parade. At his side in an identical chariot also pulled by four immaculately matched white horses Constantine acknowledged the rapturous acclaim of the factions with a beaming smile and a raised hand.  

The young prince had done well in commanding the defence of the walls at Blachernae from the last desperate attack of the Avars whilst Nicetas had overseen the naval operations. Constantine had braved the arrows and missiles of the besiegers unflinchingly and had remained in the forefront of danger until the last Avar attacker had been driven away by the barrage of missiles from the walls. His father would be proud to hear of his conduct. 

Nicetas gazed with fresh eyes upon the serpent column at the midpoint of the spina as he passed it. The bronze column formed from the tails of three entwined snakes, their heads rearing upwards with jaws agape, had been dedicated at Delphi by the Greek cities a thousand years before, giving thanks for their incredible victory over the Persian horde of Xerces. That it now resided here, in the heart of Constantinople, had never seemed so appropriate to him.  

As he rounded the southern end of the spina, Nicetas looked back over his shoulder to observe the procession making its way into the arena behind him. The Patriarch advanced on foot, holding aloft the precious icon of the Theotokos, the appearance of which had been greeted by a redoubling of the noise from the stands. He was flanked by the charioteers Photius and Tiberius, now sufficiently recovered from their injuries to return to the scene of their rivalry and salute the crowd. Their honoured station on either side of the Patriarch symbolised the coming together of the factions in defence of their city. It was a nice touch by Sergius, Nicetas thought to himself. 

Coming to a halt before the Kathisma, Constantine and Nicetas stepped down from their chariots and bowed stiffly and awkwardly before the empress who regarded them imperiously from the balcony above. With her pregnancy now undeniably obvious to all who looked upon her, the recently returned Martina had received a muted response from the crowds when she had appeared publically for the first time at St Sophia. Her brow had furrowed at the mob's unrestrained adoration for Constantine, whom they saluted enthusiastically as their future emperor. There were a few jeers now as she turned her back on the crowds and made her way back into the shadows whilst Constantine and Nicetas made their way up the steps to more shouts of approval. 

From the balcony the two cousins watched their soldiers, with armour and weapons polished to a brilliant shine, march once around the hippodrome and back out to disperse into the city in search of wine and women, both of which were in plentiful supply. On and on they came, rank after rank of the defenders of the city. Every man who had played his part now took his turn to receive the applause of his fellow citizens. Behind the soldiers came oxen pulling two of the Avar war engines which had been abandoned before the walls at Blachernae and captured intact. Their design would be carefully studied and no doubt improved upon by the military engineers of the capital in the days to come. For now they were great trophies to be looked upon by the crowds, who could marvel at the dastardly and ingenious creations that had assailed their walls. Next came the marines and rowers of the fleet. They too received a mighty roar from the packed stands as they paraded past, wonderstruck at their reception. Behind the mariners were brought in several of the Avar craft that had been salvaged from the carnage in the straits. A number of the long dug-out boats were brought in on pairs of carts, piled high inside with the discarded weapons of the Avars that had been left lying thickly outside the walls. The crowd greeted the sight of the captured swords, bows, spears and axes rapturously and then broke out into thunderous applause as two of the large rafts were brought in, supported by a cart at each corner and each holding an enormous heap of captured enemy shields.