*Rise of Greek Tyrannies- Gyges, Pheidon, Theagenes of Megara- Urbanization, Support of Arts.... (1 mar 700 ano antes da era comum – 1 nov 600 ano antes da era comum)

Descrição:

Let's turn now precisely to this phenomenon which is Greek tyranny. Tyranny emerges in the seventh century B.C.,
It was a transitional phase in Greek society, rather than one that lasted for a terribly long time, but it was not trivial, and, as I say, in some cases it went for three generations.
Okay, what is tyranny? Let's begin with the word. The word tyranneia is tyranny, the word tyrannos is tyrant, and etymologically the word is not a Greek word. It was a borrowed word. Chances are it was borrowed from Lydia, that kingdom in Asia Minor that was inland from the Greek settlements on the coast. The first Lydian king, of whom we hear that could fit as the first tyrant from Greek perspective was a man called Gyges, who ruled in Lydia

They were talking about tremendous power from their perspective and its golden Gyges, and that's not an accident. They mean wealthy Gyges; tyrants are people who have lots of wealth and lots of power, and they also rule. One translation that poets give for tyrannidos is lofty despotism, that he rules not as an equal, he rules not as a legitimate king, he rules as a master ruling slaves is the implication of that. It comes from the Greek perspective, it comes from the east, it is not native to Greeks, it is something new in the Greek experience, they haven't had kings like that even in their legends. So, that's going to be a central idea that surrounds the concept of tyranny.
Yale pg 314

Characteristic of tyrannies.

Tyrant typically lives in "capital" of the polis. There's worship of the gods everywhere, but that's a special place for them. There was always a special place, but now that becomes the center of the community, and as a result where the tyrant is, that's where all the action is. People begin to move into that capital city if they leave the land of their fathers, and some number of them in fact do. Remember this is a world that has next to no writing. There are a few people who know how to write, but it's not part of life. Of course, there's no paper. So, just get writing out of your life for the most part, but there's no movies, there's no television, there's no radio, there's no newspapers, there are very few buildings. Now suddenly up pops--let's go to Corinth and suddenly up pops this incredible thing made of stone, a temple to the gods, decorated beautifully, painted typically blue and red, and gold with a big statue of the goddess and anybody in town can go by and look at that. That would have made a sensational experience and people would have been talking about it in various elements of detail forever and a day, and they would not forget, who it was that constructed that temple. So, that's an example of what I'm talking about.

Beyond that, the tyrants were patrons of the arts, by which I mean architects, sculptors, painters, painters of this, that, and the other thing, but vase painters as well, potters of a very special kind. But that's not all--poets, singers, liar players, all of those kinds of entertainments, which had been monopolized by the aristocracy to the degree they existed at all, would now be more broadly available and the tyrants took pride in bringing the world's best to their cities and allowing at least some of them to hear and see what was going on. (pg. 102)

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