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The Origin of Tyranny Cambridge University Press C THE ORIGIN OF TYRANNY CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS C. F. CLAY, MANAGER LONDON : FETTER LANE, E.G. 4 NEW YORK : THE MACMILLAN CO. BOMBAY I CALCUTTAV MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD. MADRAS I TORONTO : THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. TOKYO: MARUZEN-KABUSH1KI-KAISHA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE ORIGIN OF TYRANNY BY P. N. URE, M.A. GONVILLE AND CAIUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE PROFESSOR OF CLASSICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, READING CAMBRIDGE AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1922 be 86. Ul DINTED !N GREAT PREFACE views expressed in the following chapters were first published THEin the Journal of Hellenic Studies for 1906 in a short paper which gave a few pages each to Samos and Athens and a few sentences each to Lydia, Miletus, Ephesus, Argos, Corinth, and Megara. The chapters on Argos, Corinth, and Rome are based on papers read to the Oxford Philological Society in 1913 and to the Bristol branch of the Classical Association in 1914. As regards the presentation of my material here, it has been my endeavour to make the argument intelligible to readers who are not classical scholars and archaeologists. The classics have ceased to be a water-tight compartment in the general scheme of study and research, and my subject forms a chapter in general economic history which might interest students of that subject who are not classical scholars. On the other hand classical studies have become so specialised and the literature in each department has multiplied so enormously that unless monographs can be made more or less complete in them- selves and capable of being read without referring to a large number of large and inaccessible books, it will become impossible for classical scholars to follow the work that is being done even in their own subject beyond the limits of their own particular branch. For these reasons ancient authorities have been mainly given in literal English translations, and when, as happens in almost every chapter, information has to be sought from vases, coins, or inscrip- tions, I have tried to elucidate my point by means of explanatory descriptions and illustrations. The Work has involved me in numerous obligations which I gladly take this opportunity of acknowledging. In 1907 I received grants from the Worts travelling bachelors' fund of Cambridge University and from Gonville and Caius College to visit Greece for the purpose of" collecting archaeological evidence upon the history of the early tyranny. This purpose was partially diverted because shortly after reaching Greece I became associated with the late Dr R. M. Burrows in the excavation of the Greek cemetery at Rhitsona in Boeotia and in the study and publication of the 3 vi PREFACE pottery found there. This pottery dates mainly from the age of the at it in the tyrants, and the results of my work appear several of succeeding chapters. To Dr Burrows I owe also the encouragement that led me to start working on the early tyranny: my main idea on the subject first occurred to me when I was lecturing on Greek history as his assistant at University College, Cardiff. I have also received much assistance at various times and in various ways from Professor G. A. T. Davies, another former colleague of mine at Cardiff, and from several of my Reading colleagues, particularly Professor W. G. de Burgh, Mr D. Atkinson, and my wife. Many other debts are recorded in the body of the book : but considering how many and various they have been, I can scarcely hope that none has been passed over without acknow- ledgement. But of all my obligations the earliest and chiefest is to Sir William Ridgeway. It is to the unique quality of his teaching at Cambridge that I owe the stimulus that suggested to me the explanation here offered of the origin of tyranny. P. N. URE. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, READING. October 1920. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I INTRODUCTION i ^ II ATHENS .... 33 III SAMOS . 68^ IV EGYPT ... .86 V LYDIA . 127 VI ARGOS . i 54 X VII CORINTH . .184^-' VIII ROME . .215 IX SICYON, MEGARA, MILETUS, EPHESUS, LEONTINI, AGRIGENTUM, CUMAE . 257 X CAPITALIST DESPOTS OF THE AGE OF ARISTOTLE, THE MONEY POWER OF THE RULERS OF PERGAMUM, PRO- TOGENES OF OLBIA XI CONCLUSION . .290 APPENDICES .... 307 INDEX 339 ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. PAGE 1 Lophos Loutrou from Daskalio station ... 42 2 On the road from Daskalio station to Plaka . 42 3 Kamaresa . ..... 43 4 Kitsovouno from Kamaresa ..... 43 (Figs. 1-4 from photographs by the author) 5 Corinthian terra cotta tablet depicting a miner at work 46 (Antike Denkmaler, i) 6 Coin of Athens with Athena and owl . 53 (Macdonald, Evolution of Coinage) 7 Athenian coins: the wreath on the head of Athena . 56 (Bulletin de Correspondance hellenique, xxx) 8 Persian "archer" 57 9 Samian coin with Samaina and Messanian coin with hare 75 (Hill, Historical Greek Coins) 10 . 82 Aiakes, father of Polycrates . (Atbenische Mitteilungen, 1 906) 11 Psamtek I ........ 86 (Petrie, Hist. Egypt, m) 1 2. Vase with cartouche of Bocchoris found at Tarquinii . 94 (Monumenti Antichi della R. Ace. dei Lincei, viu) 13 Rhodian or (?) Milesian vase found at Naukratis . 1 1 1 (Gardner, Naukratis II. By permission of the Egypt Explora- tion Fund) 14 Fikellura or (?) Samian vase found at Daphnae . 113 (Petrie, Tanis II. By permission of the Egypt Exploration Fund) 15 Naukratite vase found at Rhitsona in Boeotia . 115 (jfourn. Hellenic Studies, 1909) 1 6 . Perfume vase found at Naukratis . , 119 (Gardner, Naukratis II. By permission of the Egypt Explora- tion Fund) 17 Greek wine jar found at Naukratis . .120 (Petrie, Naukratis I. By permission of the Egypt Exploration Fund) x ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. PAGE 1 8 . Corinthian vase with cartouche of Apries . 1 24 (Gazette Arcbcologique, 1880) of . 19 Coins (a) Gyges (?), (b) Croesus 127 (Macdonald, Evolution of Coinage) 20 Early Aeginetan "tortoises" . .154 (Babelon, Traite des Monnaies Gr. et Rom.} 21 Bundle of spits found in the Argive Heraeum . 163 at . 22 Corinthian vase found Corinth . .185 (From a photograph supplied by Miss Walker of the American School of Archaeology at Athens) 23 Corinthian terra cotta tablet depicting a potter at his wheel 1 86 (Gazette Archeologique, 1880) 24 Corinthian terra cotta tablet depicting the interior of a kiln . .186 (Antike Denkmaler, i) 25 Coins of Corinth 188 (Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Corinth} 26 Coins of Cypsela ....... 200 (Abhandl. Bayerische Akad. Phil. Class. 1890) 27, 28 Attic vase paintings, perhaps depicting cypselae . 202 (Saglio, Diet. d. Antiq. figs. 2964, 2965) 29 Attic vase painting, perhaps depicting a cypsele . 203 Diet. (Saglio, d. Antiq. fig. 937) '30 Vase on stove found at lasos ..... 205 (Jahrb. d. arch. Inst. 1897) 31 Relief, perhaps depicting a small cypsele . 206 (Revue Arcbeologique, 1869) 32 Aes signatum . 22O (Haeberlin, Aes Grave) 33 Aes grave with wheel . 232 (Hill, Historical Roman Coins) 34 Corinthian vase found at Tarquinii , . 24 1 35 Corinthian terracotta tablet depicting the export of vases 242 (Antike Denkmaler, i) 36 Proto- Corinthian vase found in the Roman Forum . 249 (Notiz. d. Scavi della R. Ace. dei Lincei, 1903) ILLUSTRATIONS xi FIG. PAGE in . 37 Ionic terra cotta antefix found Rome . 250 Antichi della R. Ace. dei Lincei (Monumenti : xv) 38 Similar antefix found in Samos . .251 (Boehlau, Aus ion. u. ital. Nekropolen) 39 Terra cotta head found on the Roman Capitol . 252 (Monumenti Antichi della R. Ace. dei Lincei, xv) 40 Stone head found on the Acropolis at Athens . 253 (Athenische Mitteilungen, 1879) 41 Vase in Attic black figure style found on the Quirinal 254 (Monumenti Antichi della R. Ace. dei Lincei, xv) 42 The Capitoline wolf ...... 254 (How and Leigh, Hist, of Rome. By arrangement with Messrs Longmans Green & Co.) 43 Dipylon vase . .314 (Companion to Greek Studies, Cambridge) 44 Proto-Corinthian vase . .315 (Journ. of Hellenic Studies. By permission of the Council of the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies) 45 Dipylon Ships ..... 322 (Rev. Arch, xxv, 1894; Athenische Mitt. 1876; Arch. Zeitung, 1885; Perrot and Chipiez, Hist, dc I' An dans T Antiquite) 46 Vase painting signed by Aristonothos . .323 (Wa'ters and Birch, Hist, of Ancient Pottery) roto^t TO, jji<f)avecri /XT) ytyvoxr/cd/xe^a HOT. ii. 33. Chapter I. Introduction A<J(uei> yap (ai>) ov8tv \('y(iv dinaiov ol 8ia TOV TT\OVTOV diovvT ARISTOT. Pol. in. 12836. &aii\ov TO ras p-eyia-ras aivr/ras flvai ra>v ap^a>v. ARISTOT. Pol. II. 1273 a. THE seventh and sixth centuries B.C. constitute from many points ^ v ' ew one ^ t ^le most momentous in the The seventh periods century B.C. whole of the world's history. No doubt the greatest final achievements of the Greek race belong to the two centuries that followed. But practically all that is meant by the Greek spirit and the Greek genius had its birth in the earlier period. Literature and art, philosophy and science are at this present day largely following the lines that were then laid down for them, and this is equally the case with commerce. It was at the opening of ^ ls that the Greeks or their half hellenized M f th first epoch known metal neighbours the Lydians brought about perhaps the ns> most epoch-making revolution in the whole history of commerce by the invention of a metal coinage like those that are still in circulation throughout the civilized world. It was no accident that the invention was made precisely at this time. Industry and commerce were simultaneously making enor- mous stridesT About the beginning of the seventh century the new Lycfiandynasty of the Mermnadae made Sardis one of the most important trading centres that have arisen in the world's history.
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