*•• .il'''."i't W.- — -.V.- - -. Ul5 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE Cornell University Library The original of tliis bool< is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026412910 THE ORIGIN OF TYRANNY CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS C. F. CLAY, Manager LONDON : FETTER LANE, E.G. 4 NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN CO. BOMBAY j CALCUTTaV MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd. MADRAS I TORONTO THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TOKYO : MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-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 1022 qv U 1>E UTv3 ^5\S]ll ^^\^ PREFACE TH E views expressed in the following chapters were first published in the Journal of Hellenic Studies for igo6 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 19 13 and to the Bristol branch of the Classical Association in 19 14. 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 as vi PREFACE pottery found there. This pottery dates mainly from the age of the tyrants, and the results of my work at it appear in several of the 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 154 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 280 XI CONCLUSION .... 290 APPENDICES .... 307 INDEX .... 339 51 . 1 ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. PAGE 1 Lophos Loutrou from Daskalio station ... 42 2 On the road from Daskalio station to Plaka . 4^ 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 Denkmiiler, i) 6 Coin of Athens with Athena and owl . 53 (Macdonald, Evolution oj 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 7 5 (Hill, Historical Greek Coins) 10 Aiakes, father of Polycrates . 82 [Athenische Mitteilungen, 1906) 1 Psamtek I 86 (Petrie, Hist. Egypt, iii) 1 2. Vase with cartouche of Bocchoris found at Tarquinii 94 {Monumenti Antichi della R. Ace. dei Lincei, viii) 13 Rhodian or (?) Milesian vase found at Naukratis . 1 1 (Gardner, Nauhratis 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) 1 Naukratite vase found at Rhitsona in Boeotia . 115 (jfourn. Hellenic Studies, 1909) 16 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) 81 X ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. PAGE 1 Corinthian vase with cartouche of Apries . 1 24 {Gazette Archcologique, i?i%o) 19 Coins of (tf) Gyges(?}, (^) 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 22 Corinthian vase found at 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 ..... 186 {Gazette Archeologique, 1880) 24 Corinthian terra cotta tablet depicting the interior of a kiln ...... .186 [Antike Denkmdler, i) Coins of . 188 25 Corinth . .... {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 (Saglio, Diet. d. Antiq. fig. 937) 30 Vase on stove found at lasos ..... 205 {Jahrb. d. areh. Inst. 1897) 3 Relief, perhaps depicting a small cypsele . 206 {Revue Archeologique., 1869) 32 Jles signatum ...... 220 (Haeberlin, Aes Grave) 33 ^es grave with wheel ...... 232 (Hill, Historical Roman Coins) Corinthian vase found at Tarquinii . 34 . .241 35 Corinthian terra cotta tablet depicting the export of vases 242 {Antike Denkmiiler, i) Proto-Corinthian vase found in 36 the Roman Forum . 249 {Notiz. d. Scavi della R. Ace. dei Lincei, 1903) ILLUSTRATIONS xi FIG. PAGE Ionic terra . 37 cotta antefix found in Rome . 250 [Monumenti Antichi della R. Ace. dei Lincei, 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 Acropohs 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 (jfourn. 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, de I' Art dans I'Antiquite) 46 Vase painting signed by Aristonothos . 323 (Walters and Birch, Hist, of Ancient Pottery) TOtcrt iiJi(f>ai'€crL to, ixrj yiyvwcTKOixeva TeKfj.aipofji.evo'S. Hdt. ii. 33. Chapter I. Introduction Ad^atei/ yap {^v) ovdev Xeyeiv h'lKaiov ol dia tqv 'it\ovtov a^iovvres ap)(€tv. Aristot. Pol. III. 12836. ^avXov TO ras fieyio-ras wvtjtus eluat tS)V dp)^a>v. Abistot. Pol. 11. 12733. The seventh and sixth centuries b.c. constitute from many points view one of the most momentous periods in The seventh °^ the century B.C. whole of the world's history. No doubt the greatest e age ^^^^j ^Q^igygj^gi^ts 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 ^^^^ epoch that the Greeks or their half hellenized (a) of the first known metal neighbours the Lydians brought about perhaps the coins. 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.