Chapter I: Preface

The views expressed in the following chapters were first published in the _Journal of Hellenic Studies_ for 1906 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 1913 and to the Bristol branch of the Classical Association in 1914.

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 themselves 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 inscriptions, 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 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 acknowledgement.

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 1

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, PROTOGENES OF OLBIA 280

XI CONCLUSION 290

APPENDICES 307

INDEX 339

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. PAGE
1 Lophos Loutrou from Daskalio station 42

2 On the road from Daskalio station to Plaka 42

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 Denkmäler_, I)

6 Coin of Athens with Athena and owl 53
(Macdonald, _Evolution of Coinage_)

7 Athenian coins: the wreath on the head of Athena 56
(_Bulletin de Correspondance hellénique_, XXX)

8 Persian “archer” 57

9 Samian coin with Samaina and Messanian coin with hare 75
(Hill, _Historical Greek Coins_)

10 Aiakes, father of Polycrates 82
(_Athenische Mitteilungen_, 1906)

11 Psamtek I 86
(Petrie, _Hist. Egypt_, III)

12 Vase with cartouche of Bocchoris found at Tarquinii 94
(_Monumenti Antichi della R. Acc. dei Lincei_, VIII)

13 Rhodian or (?) Milesian vase found at Naukratis 111
(Gardner, _Naukratis II_. By permission of the Egypt
Exploration Fund)

14 Fikellura or (?) Samian vase found at Daphnae 113
(Petrie, _Tanis II_. By permission of the Egypt Exploration
Fund)

15 Naukratite vase found at Rhitsona in Boeotia 115
(_Journ. Hellenic Studies_, 1909)

16 Perfume vase found at Naukratis 119
(Gardner, _Naukratis II_. By permission of the Egypt
Exploration Fund)

17 Greek wine jar found at Naukratis 120
(Petrie, _Naukratis I_. By permission of the Egypt
Exploration Fund)

18 Corinthian vase with cartouche of Apries 124
(_Gazette Archéologique_, 1880)

19 Coins of (_a_) Gyges (?), (_b_) Croesus 127
(Macdonald, _Evolution of Coinage_)

20 Early Aeginetan “tortoises” 154
(Babelon, _Traité 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 Archéologique_, 1880)

24 Corinthian terra cotta tablet depicting the interior of a
kiln 186
(_Antike Denkmäler_, I)

25 Coins of Corinth 188
(_Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Corinth_)

26 Coins of Cypsela 200
(_Abhandl. Bayerische Akad. Phil. Class._ 1890)

27, Attic vase paintings, perhaps depicting cypselae
28 202
(Saglio, _Dict. d. Antiq._ figs. 2964, 2965)

29 Attic vase painting, perhaps depicting a cypsele 203
(Saglio, _Dict. d. Antiq._ fig. 937)

30 Vase on stove found at Iasos 205
(_Jahrb. d. arch. Inst._ 1897)

31 Relief, perhaps depicting a small cypsele 206
(_Revue Archéologique_, 1869)

32 _Aes signatum_ 220
(Haeberlin, _Aes Grave_)

33 _Aes grave_ with wheel 232
(Hill, _Historical Roman Coins_)

34 Corinthian vase found at Tarquinii 241

35 Corinthian terra cotta tablet depicting the export of vases 242
(_Antike Denkmäler_, I)

36 Proto-Corinthian vase found in the Roman Forum 249
(_Notiz. d. Scavi della R. Acc. dei Lincei_, 1903)

37 Ionic terra cotta antefix found in Rome 250
(_Monumenti Antichi della R. Acc. 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. Acc. dei Lincei_, XV)

40 Stone head found on the Acropolis at Athens 253
(_Athenische Mitteilungen_, 1879)

41 Vase in Attic black figure style found on the Quirinal 254
(_Monumenti Antichi della R. Acc. 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
(_Journ. 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 l’Art dans
l’Antiquité_)

46 Vase painting signed by Aristonothos 323
(Walters and Birch, _Hist. of Ancient Pottery_)

τοῖσι ἐμφανέσι τὰ μὴ γιγνωσκόμενα τεκμαιρόμενος.

HDT. II. 33.