November 6th, 447 CE is the accepted day when Constantinople was hit by a massive earthquake. The Theodosian triple walls on the landward side, already damaged by an earthquake ten years earlier, were severely damaged this time. 57 towers were damaged. Outside the walls the Hunnish army of Atilla was laying waste to any army put against it.
In response Theodosius II appointed his praetorian prefect, suitably named Constantine, to supervise the repairs. What Constantine did was very clever. He turned it into a competition between the supporter factions, the Demes, of the circus. The hotly contested chariot races has four supporter groups, Whites and Reds, Blues and Greens with the latter two being the really big rivals.
Imagine if you will a similar situation happening today in London City, and the Mayor calling on the fan clubs from Chelsea, Spurs, West Ham and the Arsenal to see who could rebuild the walls fastest. As a result of the competition it took only 60 days to restore the walls and towers. When pride is at stake fans can move mountains.
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