Title: Tyranny - Greek tyrants | Britannica
Headings: Greek
tyrants

Greek tyrants
Tyranny in Rome
Tyranny and the people
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

Content: In ancient times tyrants tended to be popular, because the people saw them as upholding their interests. Tyrants often introduced measures to improve the economic and social status of the poor; it was the aristocracy (who wrote the histories) who tended to oppose tyranny, because, in bypassing the constitution, tyranny threatened their traditional privileges. But as absolute rule became established in the Roman Empire, the terms of debate shifted, focusing on the question of when monarchic power became tyrannical in nature. From that springs the idea of tyranny in its modern sense: a situation in which the power of the ruler outweighs that of the ruled. That definition allows even a representative government to be labeled a tyranny. Sian Lewis
Learn More in these related Britannica articles: United Kingdom: The decline of Roman rule
…gradually into the hands of tyrants.