tyrant, in ancient history, ruler who gained power by usurping the legal authority. The word is perhaps of Lydian origin and carried with it no connotation of moral censure. With the growth of the constitutional, democratic form of government, especially at Athens, in the 5th cent. B.C. the word took on its negative sense. Many tyrants ruled well and with benefit to their subjects. Greek tyranny was in the main an outgrowth of the struggle of the rising popular classes against the aristocracy or plutocracy. The usual procedure was for a leader to win popular support, overthrow the existing government, and seize power for himself. The 7th cent. B.C. saw the rise of the tyrant Cypselus and his son, Periander Periander (pĕr`ēăn'dər), d. 585 B.C., one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece , tyrant of Corinth.
..... Click the link for more information. , of Corinth, and the 6th cent. B.C. was the time of the tyrants Cleisthenes Cleisthenes, fl. 510 B.C., Athenian statesman. He was the head of his family, the Alcmaeonidae , after the exile of Hippias, and with Spartan help had made himself undisputed ruler of Athens by 506 B.C.
..... Click the link for more information. of Sicyon in the Peloponnesus, Polycrates Polycrates (pōlĭk`rətēz), d. c.522 B.C., tyrant of Samos.
..... Click the link for more information. of Samos, and Pisistratus Pisistratus (pīsĭs`trətəs), 605?–527 B.C., Greek statesman, tyrant of Athens.
..... Click the link for more information. of Athens, followed by his sons Hipparchus Hipparchus (hĭpär`kəs), c.555–514 B.C., Athenian political figure, son of Pisistratus .
..... Click the link for more information. and Hippias Hippias (hĭp`ēəs), tyrant (527 B.C.–510 B.C.) of Athens, eldest son of Pisistratus .
..... Click the link for more information. . The tyrants of Sicily were the products of more or less the same causes as those in Greece, but tyranny was prolonged by the threat of Carthaginian attack, which facilitated the rise of military leaders with the people united behind them. Such Sicilian tyrants as Gelon Gelon (jē`lŏn), d. 478 B.C., Greek Sicilian ruler.
..... Click the link for more information. , Hiero I Hiero I (hī`ərō), 5th cent. B.C., Greek Sicilian ruler, tyrant of Syracuse (478–467 B.C.). He succeeded his brother Gelon.
..... Click the link for more information. , Hiero II Hiero II, d. c.215 B.C., Greek Sicilian ruler, tyrant of Syracuse (c.270–c.215 B.C.). He showed such ability and distinction after Pyrrhus left Sicily (275 B.C.) that he was made commander in chief of the Syracusans and was later chosen (c.265 B.C.
..... Click the link for more information. , Dionysius the Elder Dionysius the Elder, c.430–367 B.C., tyrant of Syracuse. Of humble origin, he entered politics as a supporter of the poorer classes. Having prompted (400 B.C.) a measure to elect truly democratic generals, he secured for himself one of these generalships.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Dionysius the Younger Dionysius the Younger, fl. 368–344 B.C., tyrant of Syracuse, son of Dionysius the Elder. He ended the war with Carthage and enlisted the support of the professional army.
..... Click the link for more information. maintained lavish courts and were patrons of culture. The Thirty Tyrants Thirty Tyrants, oligarchy of ancient Athens (404–403 B.C.). It was created by Lysander under Spartan auspices after the Peloponnesian War. Critias and Theramenes were prominent members. It was overthrown at Piraeus (now Piraiévs) by Thrasybulus .
..... Click the link for more information. were not tyrants in the usual sense.

Bibliography

See P. N. Ure, The Origin of Tyranny (1922); A. Andrewes, The Greek Tyrants (1956, repr. 1968).

tyrant

In ancient Greece, a cruel and oppressive absolute ruler. The Greek tyrannos was a ruler who seized power unconstitutionally or inherited such power. Though tyrants often replaced aristocratic regimes that were themselves unpopular, the Greeks resented their illegal autocracy, and those who killed tyrants received high honours. Cypselus and Periander of Corinth and Dionysius I of Syracuse were among the most famous tyrants.

tyrant

1. a person who governs oppressively, unjustly, and arbitrarily; despot

2. (esp in ancient Greece) a ruler whose authority lacked the sanction of law or custom; usurper

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Bibliography

tyrant

tyrant