Greek Tyrants Research Paper

Tyrants were common in the Archaic Period. This has led many historians to debate the origins of tyrants within the Greek poleis. Many Ancient Greek historians have proposed varying theories on the origin of tyrants such as Drews, Anderson, Stien-Hollskamp,Cockwell,Sealey, Ure, Nilsson, Forest and White. By examining their theories I would propose that the origin of tyrants was due to the need for rapid social change in poleis, changes of economy, and tyrant’s personal desire for glory.
Ure Proposes that the origin of tyrants was Tyrants were capitalist “Tyrants were the first men in their various cities to realize the political possibilities of the new conditions crated by the introduction of new coinage (Kagan 248)”. Archeological findings have found that coinage was not used around the age of tyrants. So it is fair to say that tyrants were not influenced by the introduction of new coinage. Ure’s proposal also ignores the lack of evidence that tyrants were rich before they came to power. She ignores tyrants such as Gyges who was the personal guard to the former king prior to tyrant (Herodutus 1:8-14). Gyges was not rich and he was not a capitalist. Also the economic systems of the archaic

Neissan proposed that the Tyrants were champions of the people .” tryants did their best to care for the laboring people to whom they owed their power” now while some tyrants did care for their people ,most did not . “no tyranny lasted more than three generations(pomeroy 128 ) by this it is eveident that the people did not support their reignes for long , as they did not represent the voice of the people for too long. Nessian also stated “ Tyranny grew, a fertile soil for dictatorship, anuerous homogeneous , distressed and discontented population which only needed a leader to make revolt against the ruling class(kagan 262) “. Tyrants did little to address the social and economic issues of the