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Content: They were not citizens because they did not own land. That meant they did not have a say in ruling the polis. The growing political unrest led to the rise of tyrants. A tyrant is someone who seizes power and rules with total authority. Most of the tyrants who controlled city-states ruled fairly. It was the harshness of a few tyrants that gave the word tyrannyits current meaning; rule by a cruel and unjust person. The common people and the hoplites, or citizen soldiers, supported the tyrants overthrowing the nobles. Tyrants became more popular by building new marketplaces, temples, and fortresses. Most people in the Greek city- states objected to rule by one person, however.