List of ancient Greek tyrants

This is a list of tyrants from Ancient Greece.

Abydus

• Daphnis, c. 500 BC under Darius I (pro persian)^[1]
• Philiscus, c. 368-360 BC (assassinated)
• Iphiades, 360-? BC^[2]

Agrigentum (Acragas)

• Phalaris, 570-554 BC (overthrown and roasted)
• Telemachus, after 554 BC
• Alcamenes, 6th/5th century BC^[3]
• Alcandros (Alcander), 6th/5th century BC^[3]
• Theron, 488-472 BC
• Thrasydaeus, 472 BC (expelled and executed)
• Phintias, c. 288-279 BC
• Sosistratus, 279-277 BC. Later tyrant in Syracuse^[4]

Alabanda

• Aridolis, 480 BC  (POW)
• Amyntas, after 480 BC

Ambracia

• Gorgus, son of Cypselus, fl. 628-600 BC
• Periander, until 580 BC, son of Gorgus and grandson of Periander of Corinth
• Archinus, 6th century BC ^[5]

Amastris

• Amastris, until 284 BC
• Eumenes, 284 until c. 270 BC (hands city over to Kingdom of Pontus)^[6]

Argos

• Laphaes, 6th century BC ^[7]
• Pheidon, around 550 BC
• Perilaus, c. 546 BC
• Archinus, c. 395 BC
• Aristippus the Elder, after 272 BC
• Aristomachos the Elder, before 250-240 BC (assassinated)
• Aristippus, 240-235 BC (killed in action)
• Aristomachus the Younger, 235-229 BC (resigned), 224-223 BC (tortured and executed)

Assos & Atarneus

• Eubulus, before 351 BC
• Hermias, 351-342 BC

Astacus

• Evarchus, c. 430-420 BC^[8]

Athens

• Cylon, 632 BC (stoned)
• Pisistratus, 561 BC, 559-556 BC and 546-528 BC
• Hippias, 527-510 BC
• Theramenes, Critias, and Charicles leading members of the Thirty Tyrants 404-403 BC
• Lachares, 300-294 BC
• Aristion, 88-86 BC (executed)

Byzantium

• Ariston, c. 513 BC, pro persian, participated in the Scythian campaign of Darius I^[1]
• Clearchus of Sparta, 411-409 BC, 404-401 BC

Cardia

• Hecataeus, fl. 323 BC ^[9]

Camarina

• Psaumis of Camarina, fl. c. 460 BC

Cassandreia

• Apollodorus, 279-276 BC (executed)

Catane

• Euarchus, 729 BC-?, founder of Catane^[10]
• Deinomenes the Younger, fl. 470-465 BC
• Mamercus of Catane, 345-338 BC

Chalcis (Euboea)

• Tynnondas, c. 580 BC ^[11]
• Antileon, 6th century BC
• Mnesarchus, before 354 BC
• Callias, c. 354-350 BC, c. 343-330 BC
• Taurosthenes, c. 330 BC

Chersonese

• Miltiades the Elder, 555-519 BC
• Stesagoras, 519-516 BC (assassinated)
• Miltiades, 516-510 BC, 496-492 BC

Chios

• Strattis, fl. 513-480 BC

Cibyra

• Moagetes, fl. 190 BC ^[12]

Corcyra

• Lycophron (?), before 587 BC
• Cleonymus, 303/02 BC

Corinth

• Cypselus, 657-627 BC
• Periander, 627-587 BC
• Psammetich (Psammetichus, named after Psamtik I), 587-584 BC ^[13]
• Timophanes, 364 BC (assassinated)
• Alexander, 253-247 BC (poisoned?)
• Nicaea, 247-245 BC (married)

Cos

• Scythes, late 6th century BC
• Cadmus, resigned 494 BC
• Nicias of Cos, 1st century BC
• Nicippus, 1st century (with Nicias)

Croton

• Cylonius, c. 530 BC
• Cleinias, c. 504-495 BC
• Menedemus, until 295 BC (conquered and  †)

Cumae

• Aristodemus, c. 505-490 BC

Cyme

• Aristagoras, fl. 513-493 BC

Cyprus

• Nicocreon, 4th century BC

Cyrene

• Ophellas, 312-308 BC
• Lycopus, c. 163 BC
• Nicocrates, c. 51 BC (assassinated)
• Leander, c. 50 BC (arrested)

Cyzicus

• Aristagoras, c. 513 BC ^[1]

Dardanos

• Mania, killed by her son-in-law c. 399 BC

Elatea

• Mnason, 4th century BC

Elea

• Demylus, 5th century BC
• Nearchus, c. 430 BC

Elis

• Aristotimus, 272 BC (assassinated)

Ephesus

• Melas the Elder, 7th century BC, brother-in-law to king Gyges
• Miletus, grandson of Melas, son-in-law of king Ardys
• Pythagoras, son of Miletus, 6th century BC
• Melas the Younger, son of Pythagoras, son-in-law of king Alyattes
• Pindarus, son of Melas, around 560 BC, overthrown by his cousin king Croesus
• Aristarchus, sent from Athens, around 545-540, to rule instead of Melas III^[14]
• Pasicles, 540-530 BC, killed when returning from a feast.
• Aphinagorus, fl. 530 BC
• Comas, fl. 530 BC
• Athenagoras, late 6th century BC
• Phanes
• Melancomas, around 500 BC
• Syrpax, until 334 BC (stoned)
• Hegesias, before 323 BC (assassinated)
• Melancomas II, fl. 214 BC

Epidaurus

• Procles, 640 BC

Eretria

• Themison, fl. 366 BC
• Plutarch, c. 355-350 BC (expelled)
• Hipparchus, c. 345 BC
• Automedon, c. 345 BC
• Cleitarchus, 345-341 BC (expelled)

Gela

• Cleander, 505-498 BC (assassinated)
• Hippocrates, 498-491 BC
• Gelon, 491-485 BC
• Hieron I, 485-466 BC
• Polyzalus, fl. c. 476 BC

Halicarnassus

• Artemisia I of Caria, fl. 480 BC
• Lygdamis II of Halicarnassus, fl. 469-444 BC

Heraclea Pontica

• Clearchus, 365-353 BC (assassinated)
• Satyrus, 353-? BC
• Timotheus, 352-337 BC
• Dionysius, 337-305 BC
• Amastris, 305-284 BC (drowned by her sons)
• Oxyathres, 305-284 BC
• Clearchus, 305-284 BC

Hermione

• Xenon, stepped down 229 BC

Himera

• Terillus, early 5th century BC

Keryneia

• Iseas, 275 BC (resigned)

Lampsacus

• Hippoclus, c. 513 BC
• Aeantides, fl. 515-510 BC
• Astyanax, before 360 BC, assassinated

Larissa

• Medius, fl. 395 BC

Leontini

• Panaetius, c. 615/609 BC
• Aenesidemus, 498-491 BC
• Hicetas, c. 347-338 BC
• Heracleides, fl. 278 BC

Lindos

• Cleobulus, 6th century BC

Locri

• Dionysius the Younger, 356-346 BC

Megalopolis

• Aristodemus the Good, c. 262-252 BC (assassinated by the "philosopher tyrannicides" Ecdemus and Damophanes)
• Lydiadas, c. 245-235 BC (joined the Achaean League)

Megara

• Theagenes, c. 620-600 BC

Messana

• Scythes, c. 494 BC
• Cadmus, c. 494-490 BC
• Anaxilas, c. 490-476 BC
• Micythus, c. 476-467 BC (retired)
• Leophron, c. 467-461 BC (popular revolt)
• Hippon, c. 338 BC
• Cios the Mamertine, c. 269 BC  (POW)

Messene

• Phyliades, before 336 BC (?)

Methymnae

• Aristonicus, before 332 BC (tortured and executed)

Miletus

• Amphitres, late 8th or 7th century BC
• Thrasybulus, 7th century BC
• Thoas, 6th century BC
• Damasanor, 6th century BC
• Histiaeus, 518-514 BC
• Aristagoras, c. 513-499 BC (reintroduced democracy)
• Timarchus, 3rd century BC

Mytilene

• Melandrus, late 7th century BC
• Myrsilus, late 7th century BC, (Alcaeus was against him)
• Pittacus, fl. 600 BC (resigned after ten years)
• Coes, c. 507-499 BC (stoned)

Naxos

• Lygdamis, until c. 512 BC
• Aristagoras, c. 502-499 BC

Orchomenus

• Aristomelidas, Archaic period (?)
• Nearchus, 234 BC (resigned)

Oreus

• Philistides, c. 341 BC (expelled)
• Menippus, c. 341 BC (expelled)

Parium

• Herophantus, c. 513 BC

Pellene

• Chaeron, after 336 BC

Pharsalus

• Sisyphus, fl. 395 BC
• Polydamas, until 370 BC

Pherae

• Lycophron
• Jason, before 370 BC (assassinated)
• Polydorus, 370 BC (assassinated)
• Polyphron, 370-369 BC (assassinated)
• Alexander, 369-358 BC (assassinated)
• Tisiphonus, 357-355/4 BC
• Lycophron II, 355-352 BC (resigned)
• Peitholaus, 355-352 and 349 BC (resigned, expelled)

Phlius

• Leo, c. 540 BC
• Cleonymus, before 229 BC (resigned)

Phocaea

• Laodamas, c. 513 BC

Phocis

• Aulis, fl. c. 520 BC
• Phayllus, fl. 352 BC

Pisa

• Damophon, before 7th century BC (?)
• Pantaleon, fl. 660-644 BC
• Damophon, fl. 588 BC
• Pyrrhus, 6th century BC

Priene

• Hieron of Priene, 300-297 BC

Proconnesus

• Metrodorus, c. 513 BC

Rhegium

• Anaxilas, 494-476 BC
• Micythus, c. 476-467 BC (retired)
• Leophron, c. 467-461 BC (popular revolt)
• Dionysius the Younger, before 352 BC (expelled)
• Calippus, 352/351 BC (assassinated)
• Leptines II, after 351 BC
• Decius Vibellius, 280-270 BC (conquered)

Samos

• Demoteles, 7th century BC^[15]
• Syloson, c. 538 BC
• Polycrates, c. 538-522 BC
• Maiandrius, c. 522 BC (reintroduced democracy)
• Charilaus, c. 522 BC
• Syloson, again c. 521 BC
• Aeaces, around 513 BC, reinstalled after 494 BC
• Theomestor, after 480 BC^[16]
• Duris, c. 280 BC

Selinus

• Theron, 6th/5th century BC
• Pythagoras, 6th/5th century BC
• Euryleon of Sparta, 6th/5th century BC (killed)

Sicyon

• Orthagoras, from 676 BC
• Myron the Elder, fl. 648 BC, former Olympian winning in chariot race^[17]
• Myron the Younger?
• Aristonymus, father of Cleisthenes
• Isodemus^[18]
• Cleisthenes, 600-560 BC
• Aeschines, 560-556 BC removed by the Spartans
• Euphron, 368-366 BC (assassinated)
• Aristratus, fl. c. 340 BC
• Epichares (?), fl. c. 330 BC
• Cratesipolis, 314-308 BC (bribed)
• Cleon, c. 300-280 BC (assassinated)
• Euthydemus, c. 280-270 BC (expelled)
• Timocleidas, c. 280-270 BC (expelled)
• Abantidas, 264-252 BC (assassinated)
• Paseas, 252-251 BC (assassinated)
• Nicocles, 251 BC (expelled by Aratus of Sicyon)

Sigeum

• Hegesistratus, fl. 510 BC^[19]

Sinope

• Timesilaus, before 433 BC^[20]
• Scydrothemis, 301-280 BC

Sparta

• Machanidas, 210-207 BC (killed in action)
• Nabis, 207-192 BC (assassinated by allies)
• Chaeron, 180 BC

Sybaris

• Telys, c. 510 BC

Syracuse

• Gelon, 491-478 BC
• Hieron I, 478-466 BC
• Thrasybulus, 466-465 BC (expelled, democracy restored)
• Dionysius the Elder, 405-367 BC
• Dionysius II, the Younger, 367-357 BC
• Apollocrates, 357 BC
• Heracleides, 357 BC
• Dion, 357-354 BC
• Calippus, 354-352 BC
• Hipparinus, 352-351 BC
• Aretaeus, 352-350 BC
• Nysaeos, 350-346 BC
• Dionysius II, the Younger, (restored, 346-344 BC)
• Timoleon, 345-337 BC
• Agathocles, 320 BC (banished)
• Acestorides, 320-319 BC
• Agathocles, 317-289 BC
• Hicetas, 289-279 BC
• Thoenon, 279 BC, See Siege of Syracuse (278 BC)
• Sosistratus, 279-277 BC^[4]
• Hieron II, 275-215 BC
• Gelon II, c. 240-216 BC
• Hieronymus, 215-214 BC
• Adranodoros, 214-212 BC
• Hippocrates, 213-212 BC
• Epicydes, 213-212 BC

Tarentum

• Aristophylidas, c. 516-492 BC^[21]

Tarsus

• Lysias, before 67 BC ^[22]

Tauromenium

• Andromachus, fl. 344 BC
• Tyndarion, fl. 278 BC

Thasos

• Symmachus, c. 520 BC ^[23]

Thebes

• Leontiades, 382-379 BC (killed)
• Archias, 382-379 BC (killed)

Zeleia

• Nicagoras, 334 BC (conquered by Alexander the Great)^[24]

References

1. Herodotus, Histories,4.138
2. Aeneas Tacticus, 28.6–7,"Ἰφιάδης εἶναι Ἀβυδηνὸς κατὰ Ἑλλήσποντον καταλαμβάνων Πάριον ἄλλα τε περὶ τὴν ἀνάβασιν νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους λάθρᾳ παρεσκευάσατο​207 καὶ ἁμάξας πληρώσας φρυγάνων καὶ βάτων παρέπεμψεν πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος, ἤδη τῶν πυλῶν κεκλεισμένων, ὡς τῶν Παριανῶν οὔσας τὰς ἁμάξας, αἵτινες​208 ἐλθοῦσαι πρὸς τὰς πύλας ηὐλίζοντο, ὡς φοβούμεναι πολεμίους. 7 ἃς ἔδει ἐν καιρῷ τινι ὑφαφθῆναι, ἵνα αἱ πύλαι ἐμπρησθῶσι καὶ πρὸς τὸ σβεννύειν τῶν Παριανῶν ὁρμησάντων αὐτὸς κατὰ ἄλλον τόπον εἰσέλθῃ."
3. Heraclides Lembus, Excerpta Politiarum, 69."Ἀκραγαντίνων: […] μεθ’ ὃν Ἀλκαμένης παρέλαβε τὰ πράγματα, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον Ἄλκανδρος προέστη, ἀνὴρ ἐπιεικής. καὶ εὐθένησαν οὕτως ὡς περιπόρφυρα ἔχειν ἱμάτια." (Constitution of the Acragantines. […] After him [i.e. Phalaris] Alcamenes seized the power, and after him, Alcander, a righteous man, governed. And they flourished to such an extent that they had himations fringed with purple”.) (DILTS 1971)
4. Diod.22.7.2, Polyaen.5.37.1
5. Aristotle, Constitution of Athens,17.4
6. Memnon of Heraclea, Chapter 9
7. Pausanias,2.21.8
8. Thucydides in Book II of his History of the Peloponnesian War
9. Hecataetus entry
10. Thucydides
11. Plutarch, Solon,14.4
12. Strabo,13.4
13. Aristophanes, Politica. v. 12. 1315 b 26; Nicolaus Damascenus, fr. 60, Fragmenta historicorum Graecorum iii. 393
14. "Great Online Encyclopaedia of Constantinople". constantinople.ehw.gr. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
15. Plutarch, Greek Questions 57
16. Herodotus 8.85, Herodotus,9.90
17. Pausanias,6.19.1
18. Frontinus’ “Strategemata”.
19. Herodotus,5.94
20. Plutarch, Pericles, 20
21. Herodotus,3.136.2
22. Deipnosophistae, book 5,215
23. Polyaenus: Stratagems, Book 2,1.27
24. Athenaeus, Deipnosophists, §7.288