The Greek Tyrannies: c. 650 - 510 BC
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The Period of Greek Tyrannies
From 650 when Cypselus established a tyranny at Corinth to 510 when the sons of Peisistratus fell at Athens many Greek cities were controlled by tyrants. Tyrants also came to power in many cities of Ionia and Sicily. However, the term "tyrant" does not necessarily imply brutality, and many of the Greek tyrants ruled with a measure of popular support; usually, the first generation tyrants were brought to power by popular feeling and the second generation tyrants, losing this popular basis, would resort to force and subsequently be overthrown. Factions among the nobles could cause the leaders of one faction to ally with the revolutionary sentiments, though it is not always the case that revolutions were lead by disaffected aristocrats. The leaders of a successful faction would be called tyrannus (tyrant), a term which did not originally have the negative associations that it carries today. Aristotle in his Politics identified the main reason why tyrants came to power: "The tyrant is installed in power from among the people [demos] and the masses against the wealthy so that the people suffer no injustice at their hands." He also noted that on other occasions a king might aim at becoming a despot, or an aristocrat achieve preeminence. The majority of tyrants were aristocrats who opted to oppose their class interest and become champions of the people. The quality of the primary sources for this period is doubtful. Ephorus of Cyme during the middle of the C4th BC wrote a history of the period, but his work is lost and only fragments remain; even so, Ephorus, like Herodotus, was not careful to distinguish fact from legend. However, three poets of the period, Tyrtaeus of Sparta, Alcaeus of Mytilene and Solon of Athens are useful primary sources; however, they were writing poetry not history.
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Contents of
The Greek Tyrannies: c. 650 - 510 BC
1 The Period of Greek Tyrannies
2 Pheidon of Argos.
3 Cypselus of Corinth
4 Orthagoras of Sicyon
5 Asia Minor and Greek tryannies
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