With the riot over Hypatius now had to deal with the consequences of it. The city had been devastated during the days of the riot and despite the victory of the population over the loyalists, the inhabitants of Constantinople had suffered heavy casualties. Among the victims of the recent events there were the Praefectus of the city Eudaemon, senators loyal to Iustinianus and even Belisarius’s wife, Antonina. The fate of the survivors was now up to Hypatius: Iustinianus, Narses, Mundus and many others. Unfortunately for Hypatius and his supporters, Magister Militum Belisarius and empress Theodora, along with the remainder of the loyalist troops, were able to escape from the city before the fall of the palace. Some days later news would reach Hypatius that the survivors fled to the city of Nicomedia.
Among his first measures as emperor, Hypatius attempted to consolidate his power while trying to reconcile the population of the capital with the imperial authority, now his own authority. His friend and main supporter Procopius was granted the office of Quaestor Sacri Palatii, while Olybrius received the Praetorian Praefecture of Illyricum, with administrative responsibilities over the european side of the empire. Finally senator Origenes received the Praefecture of the city. Militarily speaking, the emperor had to move really carefully: Athalaric, who after being deceived had supported his claim to the throne, was rewarded with the title of Magister Militum per Thracias , thus receiving official recognition for himself and for his people, while the current Magister Militum Chilbudius was recalled to Constantinople. Hypatius know that his fate was currently in the hands of the Goths, forcing him to grant all the concessions that the gothic leader demanded, like additional land for the Goths and the payment of subsidies. With the support of the Goths and the few Roman troops inside the city who supported him, Hypatius was able to bring back order in the capital.
Another problem for the new emperor was represented by what was left of the previous regime: emperor Iustinianus was allowed to live his life peacefully in the palace of Hormisdas, the palace that two centuries earlier had belonged to the Sassanian prince Hormisdas and more recently, during Iustinus’s reign, served as residence for Iustinianus himself. Heavily guarded by the emperor’s soldiers, Iustinianus would be able to spend his life focusing on theological matters. His most trusted commanders were less lucky: the eunuch Narses was condemned to death while the Germanic general Mundus, having played a less prominent role during the riot, was temporarily imprisoned in the imperial palace. The real threat however was now represented by Belisarius, the hero of Dara and Magister Militum per Orientem. The man was loyal to Iustinianus, having served as his bodyguard and now there was the serious possibility that a civil war could erupt between the two factions. Certainly the fact that empress Theodora was among his retinue only reinforced this hypothesis. However Belisarius was also a pragmatic man: he knew that he couldn’t take the city without the support of the population and even if he could, Iustinianus would be dead before the end of the siege. Moreover there was the possibility that a war against Hypatius would quickly turn into a war against the Thracian Goths and the Western Romans. Finally despite Cosroe’s desire for peace, in order to consolidate his power after his father’s death, the outbreak of a civil war between the Romans could prompt him to prolong the war in the East.
Thus after the deposition of the previous emperor, a long and difficult negotiation was established between Constantinople and Nicomedia. Through their representatives, Procopius and Petrus, the two sides finally reached an agreement before the end of the month which included the confirmation of Belisarius as Magister Militum and an economical compensation for all his properties destroyed during the riot. Belisarius would accept to serve under the new emperor and would also deliver the former empress to Hypatius who would in turn grant her the possibility to spend the rest of her life with her husband in Constantinople. Her return to Constantinople however would be kept secret in order to avoid to inflame the population of the capital. Yet the new emperor was forced to sacrifice the most prominently representatives of the previous government, if he wanted to preserve his throne: Praefectus Praetorio Ioannes, the man responsible for the heavy fiscal burden placed upon the population, Tribonianus, hated by the senators who considered him an upstart, along with many others were executed in order to appease the people.
Even though Hypatius was forced to get rid of important members of the imperial administration in Constantinople, outside the city he had the possibility to impose his own will. Concerning the current war with the Persians, Hypatius decided to follow the same path of his predecessor: he confirmed Sittas as Magister Militum per Armeniam while resuming official negotiation with Cosroe. An agreement was only reached before the end of the year and included the recognition of Roman influence over Lazica while the Persian would retain control over Iberia. Additionally the Romans would pay the incredible sum of 10000 pounds of gold ( during the celebrations for his consulship in 521, Iustinianus spent 4000 pound which was already considered at the time an incredible sum) to the Persians, thus avoiding the humiliating condition of an yearly tribute. A minor note of this agreement was the return of the last members of the Academy to the empire, after they had been forced to flee in 529 AC. With peace secured in the east, Hypatius could now focus on the many internal problems of his empire which threatened his rule. In the east he would start the works necessary to rebuild Antioch, after an earthquake had destroyed the city in 526 AC. In the west he would find a way to repay a friend.