greek tyrants and hoplite voting class Flashcards
When did the age of tyranny start and where?
600s BC
Argos circa 670 BC
Corinth circa 658 BC
Turannos
What?
Individual man seized power illegally and made himself a dictator;
displacing entire aristocratic government and negating polis constitution
Turannos
Who?
Turannoi was an aristoi;
He was trained in leadership and military skills - gaining fame from aristocratic pursuit (like an army commander, Olympic games athlete..)
Turannos
Why?
Turannoi had a vision that old traditional aristocratic government would collapse;
took initiative to lead New Order of his polis
Turannos
How?
Bargained with middle class hoplites that were politically excluded and promised voting rights, and other amenities;
like trade incentives and debt relief
Middle class helped him seize power;
after, he kept his promise and remained friends with the middle class and the poor;
as well as a class traitor of the aristocrats
= giving rise to hoplite franchise
What is the hoplite franchise?
Political makeup of Greek polis population in 600s BC
Middle class gained voting power;
- 60% male citizens can vote now as opposed to the 20>% of the aristokratia
- hoplites had rights to vote in ekklēsia and to run for minor political offices
HOWEVER city’s top officials were hand picked men of turranoi
What happened to the aristos in the age of tyranny?
Lost their monopoly on power:
on limitless social / economic / political / privileged as well as the control over countryside peasants
Kept their wealth
What happened to those who resisted or plotted turannos?
Executed and exiled
Who were the middle class?
Upper fringe;
- as rich/richer than least rich aristos
[sea-trading middle class families became rich by late 700s - early 600s BC]
Yeomen;
- under upper fringe rich traders
- “small holding farmers”
- owned land of modest size
- not rich, not poor
- constituted major part of polis middle class population
Craftsmen;
- stone masons, potters, carpenters, cobblers
- those who owned their own businesses
What were the middle class voting rights under the hoplite franchise?
Simple local issues for voting in ekklēsia:
like building new roads
NOT important decisions like relating to war (turranoi job)
Who were the citizen poor? The thētes?
Laborer
Free born citizens
NOT slaves
- didn’t own land where they farmed or workshops where they worked
- worked for hire
Two levels;
1- better off level; peasants (tenant farmers) and lower end skilled workers
2- truly poor: farm-hands, day laborers, migrant workers, unemployed..
Served as light armed troops in army;
slingers, javelin men, archers
in Athens 400s BC - served as navy oarsmen
Who were omitted from voting in the age of tyranny?
Non hoplite lower middle class
Lowest income class, citizen poor
BUT had some benefits like public amenities
When was the end of tyrants?
late 500s BC
What caused the end of tyrants?
The city’s commoners in league with the aggrieved aristoi rose to oust the dictatorship
BUT aristokratia did not return
The tyrants left the legacy of hoplite franchise
Who was the last tyrant to go?
Hippais from Athens in 510 BC
