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January 30th, 2012
What does “Tyranny” mean in the ancient Greek context?
Tyranny = Government of a polis by an individual with more or less absolute power who seized control unconstitutionally (i.e. a dictator).
Tyrannos not a Greek word; Lydian in origin.
Skewed perception of tyrants and tyranny in the sources: 1. Most of our sources are aristocratic. 2. Atheno-centrism. 3. Image of fourth century tyrants (esp. from Magna Graecia).
Often popular/populist leaders.
What are some of the reasons Tyrannies occurred?
Seem to proliferate between ca. 670 and 500 BCE.
Period of frequent stasis (civil conflict) in many poleis.
Product of: 1. Intense competition between ruling aristocratic or oligarchic clans. 2. Tensions between rich ruling elite and the poorer masses.
The Typical Tyrant: 1. Generally from the wealthy, elite ruling class. 2. Motivated by ambition to excel rivals in status. 3. Seeks political advantage by seeking support from the common people.
The Hoplite Revolution (?).
Originally “basileus” of Argos.
Argos essentially an aristocracy; kings held very little actual power; Basileus’ power limited by nomos (custom).
Amassed such absolute power that he became tyrannos.
Argos thought to be the place of origin for the hoplite phalanx; power might have rested on the hoplite (i.e. the middling) class.
Unified the komai of the Argive plain under the leadership of Argos.
“Pheidon the Argive was the tenth in descent from Temenus, and the most powerful prince of his age; he was the inventor of the weights and measures called Pheidonian, and stamped money, silver in particular. He recovered the whole inheritance of Temenus, which had been severed into many portions. He attacked also the cities which Hercules had formerly taken, and claimed the privilege of celebrating the games which Hercules had established, and among these the Olympian games. He entered their country by force and celebrated the games, for the Eleians had no army to prevent it, as they were in a state of peace, and the rest were oppressed by his power. The Eleians however did not solemnly inscribe in their records this celebration of the games, but on this occasion procured arms, and began to defend themselves. The Lacedæmonians also afforded assistance, either because they were jealous of the prosperity, which was the effect of the peaceful state of the Eleians, or because they supposed that they should have the aid of the Eleians in destroying the power of Pheidon, who had deprived them of the sovereignty of Peloponnesus, which they before possessed. They succeeded in their joint attempt to overthrow Pheidon, and the Eleians with this assistance obtained possession of Pisatis and Triphylia.” (Trans. George Bell & Sons, 1903)
Pre-657 BCE:
Corinth ruled by Bacchiad aristocracy Labda and Aetion The return of Kypselos. Political discontent (Wars with Argos and Corcyra; mounting debt
problem). Kypselos seizes power in Corinth (657 BCE); some Bacchiads flee to
Corcyra (Kerkyra).
Post 657 BCE:
Rule must have been broadly popular: 1. Received enough support to stage coup. 2. Ruled undisturbed for 30 years. 3. Dies of natural causes in 627 BCE. 4. Peaceful succession of his son, Periander, as Tyrannos.
Periander ruled another 42 years; one of the “seven sages of Greece.”
Favoring the lower classes against the interests of the aristocracy and the rich.
Eliminating aristocratic elements that were potential threats; confiscation of property.
Maintained political ties with other tyrants (i.e. Pheidon of Argos, Alyattes of Lydia, Thrasyboulos of Miletus).
Acts of eurgetism (i.e. construction of public buidings, ammeneties, infrastructure etc.) – The Diolkos; The Isthmian Games (582 BCE)
Attempts (esp. under Periander) to extend Corinthian control over other poleis (i.e. Corycyra, Ambracia etc.).
“For Periandros son of Kypselos had sent three hundred boys from the leading families of Kerkyra to Alyattes of Sardis to be castrated.”
“…and Kypselos became tyrant and this is how he behaved. He exiled many Corinthians and deprived many of their property and many more of their lives. He ruled for thirty years and ended his life at the height of his power and his son Periandros succeeded him in the tyranny. At the beginning he was a much milder ruler than his father, but then got in touch with Thrasyboulos the tyrant of Miletos and became even more savage than Kypselos….Thrasyboulos recommended him to kill anyone who stood out among the townspeople; he now revealed all the evil side of his nature to his fellow politai. Anything Kypselos left undone in the way of murder or banishment, Periandros finished off.”
(Herodotus, Histories 5.92. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 27)
“and again at Ambracia similarly the people joined with the adversaries of the tyrant Periander in expelling him and then brought the government round to themselves.” (Aristotle, Politics. 5.1304a. Trans. H. Rackham, 1944).
Sicyon under hegemony of Argos until 676 BCE.
Orthagoras of Sicyon seizes power in a coup.
Orthagorid tyrants est. ties with Kypselids in Corinth and Temenids (i.e. Pheidon in Argos).
625 BCE – Cleisthenes of Sicyon seizes the tyranny (625-569 BCE).
Relations between Sikyon and Corinth and Argos deteriorate: 1. Expulsion of the Kypselids (585 BCE). 2. Cleisthenes’ hostile (racial?) policy toward Argos.
582 BCE – Cleisthenes a victor at the Pythian Games at Delphi; expanded the games.
“In this way the competition in singing to the flute was dropped. But they added a chariot-race, and Cleisthenes, the tyrant of Sicyon, was proclaimed victor in the chariot-race.” .” (Paus. 10.3. W.H.S. Jones, 1918)
“For Kleisthenes, having gone to war against the Argives, stopped the rhapsodists competing at Sikyon in the recitation of the Homeric epics, since the Argives and Argos are highly praised in them….but he also changes the names of the Dorian phylai (of Sikyon), so that the names should not be the same for the Sikyonians and the Argives. As a result he had a good laugh at the expense of the Sikyonians and the Argives; for he derived the names from the pig and the ass and the piglet and then added the terminations, but he behaved differently with his own phyle to which he assigned a name derived from his own position; his fellows were called Archelaoi (rulers of the people), the others Hyatai, Oneatai and Choireatai (pig-men, ass-men, and piglet-men).” (Herodotus, Histories 5.67-68. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 30)
Seizes control of Samos (535 BCE) with his brothers, Pantagontus and Syloson.
Power initially shared by all three.
Polycrates murdered Pantagnotus and exiled Syloson; ruled Samos alone.
Developed Samos into a naval power.
Political ties with Amasis (king of Egypt) and Lygdamis (Tyrant of Naxos).
Established an expansionist policy.
Major building campaigns on Samos.
“He had a hundred fifty-oared ships and a thousand archers; and he ravaged and plundered everyone without distinction…He captured many of the islands and many of the towns of the mainland also; and he even captured the Lesbians who had come to the help of the Milesians with all their forces after defeating them in a sea battle; the captives were forced to dig, in chains, the whole of the moat which surrounds the wall of Samos.” (Herodotus, Histories 3.39. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 31).
“I have spent a rather long time on the Samians since they are responsible for three of the greatest things achieved by any of the Greeks: the first is a tunnel dug right underneath a mountain 900 feet high; the length of the tunnel is seven stades and its height and breadth are both eight feet; and for its whole length it carries a channel twenty cubits deep and three feet wide, along which water conveyed in pipes reaches the polis, brought from a freely flowing spring…This is one of three things; the second is a breakwater in the sea around the harbour, going out to a depth of twenty fathoms and over two stades long. And the third thing is the biggest of all known temples….” (Herodotus, Histories 3.60. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 32A).
“And it is a mark of tyrants to impoverish their subjects, so that they pay for a bodyguard, and being occupied with their daily affairs will not have the leisure to plot. An example of the approach is provided by the pyramids in Egypt and the votive offerings of the Kypselidai and the building of the Olympion by the Peisistratidai and the works of Polykrates among those on Samos – all these enterprises had the same effect, the occupation and the impoverishment of the subject.” (Aristotle, Politics 5. 1313 b19-25. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 32B).
Polycrates invited to Magnesia by the Persian Satrap (Oroetes).
“He sailed to meet Oroetes, with a great retinue of followers, among whom was Democedes, son of Calliphon, a man of Croton and the most skillful physician of his time. [2] But no sooner had Polycrates come to Magnesia than he was horribly murdered in a way unworthy of him and of his aims; for, except for the sovereigns of Syracuse, no sovereign of Greek race is fit to be compared with Polycrates for magnificence. [3] Having killed him in some way not fit to be told, Oroetes then crucified him; as for those who had accompanied him, he let the Samians go, telling them to thank him that they were free; those who were not Samians, or were servants of Polycrates' followers, he kept for slaves.” (Herodotus, Histories 3.125.1-3. Trans. A.D. Godley, 1920).
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Cities/Gela.html
Colony founded by colonists from Rhodes and Crete (ca. 688 BCE).
505 BCE – Cleander (mercenary leader) seized control of the Gela; ruled as tyrant until his assassination in 498 BCE; succeeded by his brother Hippokrates.
Hippokrates (Tyrant 498-491 BCE); expansionist policy (i.e. subdued Naxos and Leontini).
491 BCE – Hippokrates dies fighting the Sikels at Hybla; citizens of Gela in revolt; Gelon (chief of cavalry retakes the city).
Gelon ruled as tyrant (491-478 BCE). Intervened in Syracuse and seized control; moved the
center of his power to Syracuse and left Gela to his brother, Hieron.
Requested to send assistance against the Persian invasion (480 BCE); refused unless he was in charge of all the Greek forces.
“Finally it fell to Hippokrates to be killed before the polis of Hybla after ruling for the same number of years as his brother Kleandros, in the course of a campaign against the Sikels; Gelon pretended to protect his sons Eukleides and Kleandros, since the politai were no longer willing to be their subjects, but once he defeated the Gelans in battle he in fact ruled them himself and deposed the sons of Hippokrates. After this plot, Gelon gained control of Syracuse also; the so called gamoroi among the Syracusans had been driven out by the demos and by their own slaves called Kylyrioi, but they were restored by Gelon from the polis of Kasmenai (whither they had fled); the demos of Syracuse handed over the polis and itself to Gelon when he approached. Once he had control of Syracuse, he was less interested in his rule over Gela, but handed it over to his brother Hieron, while he lorded it over Syracuse, which was everything to him. And it immediately began to grow and flourish; for he brought all of the Kamarinaians to Syracuse and made them politai and pulled Kamarina to the ground; he also did to over half inhabitants of Gela what he had done to the Kamarinaians. He then dealt similarly with Megara in Sicily, which had been besieged by him and come to terms….he regarded the demos as something very unpleasant to associate with. This was the way in which Gelon became a very powerful tyrant.” (Herodotus, Histories 7.155-156. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 35)
“Men of Hellas, it is with a self-seeking plea that you have dared to come here and invite me to be your ally against the foreigners; yet what of yourselves? [2] When I was at odds with the Carchedonians, and asked you to be my comrades against a foreign army, and when I desired that you should avenge the slaying of Dorieus son of Anaxandrides on the men of Egesta, and when I promised to free those trading ports from which great advantage and profit have accrued to you,—then neither for my sake would you come to aid nor to avenge the slaying of Dorieus. Because of your position in these matters, all these lands lie beneath the foreigners' feet. [3] Let that be; for all ended well, and our state was improved. But now that the war has come round to you in your turn, it is time for remembering Gelon! [4] Despite the fact that you slighted me, I will not make an example of you; I am ready to send to your aid two hundred triremes, twenty thousand men-at-arms, two thousand horsemen, two thousand archers, two thousand slingers, and two thousand light-armed men to run with horsemen. I also pledge to furnish provisions for the whole Greek army until we have made an end of the war. [5] All this, however, I promise on one condition, that I shall be general and leader of the Greeks against the foreigner. On no other condition will I come myself or send others.” (Herodotus, Histories 7.158. Trans. A.D. Godley, 1920).
Herodotus more interested in oracles and their validity: “It was ordained, however, that suffering should come to Corinth from the child of Eetion.”
Largely Athenocentric owing to the survival of sources; The Peisistratids of Athens (547-510 BCE), The Thirty Tyrants (403 BCE).
Colored by 4th century view of tyrants and tyranny as a form of government.
The Fourth-Century View of Tyranny
“And it is a mark of tyrants to impoverish their subjects, so that they pay for a bodyguard, and being occupied with their daily affairs will not have the leisure to plot.” (Aristotle, Politics 5. 1313 b19-25. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 32B).
“Such cases then are and were tyrannical because of the possession of irresponsible power….” (Aristotle, Politics 3. 1285a -29-b. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 23)
Athenian Decree Against Tyranny(338 BCE)
“…if anyone moves against the demos with a view to establishing a tyranny or helps to establish a tyranny or overthrows the demos of the Athenians or the democracy of the Athenians, whoever kills anyone who does any of these things is to be immune from punishment; and if the demos or the democracy at Athens is overthrown, it is forbidden for any of the bouletai who are members of the boule of the Aereopagos to go up onto the Aereopagos or sit down in the council or to consider any matter, he is to be deprived of all rights, both he and his descendants after him, and his property is to belong to the demos and a tithe is to be given to Athena….” (SEG XII. 87. Crawford & Whitehead, Doc. 26B).
More Balanced PerspectiveMany tyrants were indeed “tyrannical” and
motivated by personal ambition (i.e. Polykrates, Gelon).
Tyranny sometimes closely related to democracy; some tyrants popular leaders (i.e. Kypselos, Pheidon, Peisistratos); cater to many popular demands.
Reigns often associated with general prosperity.
Euergetism and Tyranny often go hand in hand.
