Herodotus in the The Histories Book V, claims,“There is nothing in the whole world so unjust, nothing so bloody, as a tyranny” Greece, in 500 BC was under the rule of one such tyrant, Pisistratus. In order to stay in power, tyrants of ancient Greece created a prosperous society which would please its citizens. Tyrants created a prosperous society by establishing worldly order, redistributing power to the middle class and creating a unified society.
To start, tyrants in Athens created relations with other city states in order to maintain a stable society. Athens was financially stable because of its economy and its allies. Trade was essential in order for Greece to maintain its stable economy. One reason for trade being so successful in Athens …show more content…
Historical records show,“Peisistratus exiled the nobles; their land was confiscated and redistributed among the people.” Redistributing power served multiple purposes for tyrants. By removing the people of former influence in society from their higher positions, tyrants faced little opposition. Redistributing land also gave influence to the lower classes of society, which made tyrants even more popular in the public’s eye. Moreover, for their new land, Peisistratus offered loans to peasants so that they could begin to harvest. His policy and is methods increased the support that he had from the people of Greece. The Athenian constitution states,“Peisistratos' administration of the state was, as has been said, moderate, and more constitutional than tyrannic; he was kindly and mild in everything, and in particular he was merciful to offenders and moreover he advanced loans of money to the poor for their industries.” This historical account is significant because it reflects that because Peisistratus was invested in the success of the lower class, his subjects viewed him as a hero, they did not even consider him to be a tyrant. With a vested interested in the success of the lower class, “farmers were encouraged to cultivate and sell the vine and olive.” As land ownership shifted from the wealthy to members of the lower class, more people had social power in society. The stressed importance of agriculture created a stable class of farmers. In addition to improving the lives of farmers, better agriculture improved all of society through always having enough food and generating more money through taxes. The produce that was sold by the farmers was taxed. The amount money that the government received from these tax reforms was enough to continue to improve society. As a result of all of his policies, Peisistratus gained support, and was considered as a"friend of the people". People were
To start, tyrants in Athens created relations with other city states in order to maintain a stable society. Athens was financially stable because of its economy and its allies. Trade was essential in order for Greece to maintain its stable economy. One reason for trade being so successful in Athens …show more content…
Historical records show,“Peisistratus exiled the nobles; their land was confiscated and redistributed among the people.” Redistributing power served multiple purposes for tyrants. By removing the people of former influence in society from their higher positions, tyrants faced little opposition. Redistributing land also gave influence to the lower classes of society, which made tyrants even more popular in the public’s eye. Moreover, for their new land, Peisistratus offered loans to peasants so that they could begin to harvest. His policy and is methods increased the support that he had from the people of Greece. The Athenian constitution states,“Peisistratos' administration of the state was, as has been said, moderate, and more constitutional than tyrannic; he was kindly and mild in everything, and in particular he was merciful to offenders and moreover he advanced loans of money to the poor for their industries.” This historical account is significant because it reflects that because Peisistratus was invested in the success of the lower class, his subjects viewed him as a hero, they did not even consider him to be a tyrant. With a vested interested in the success of the lower class, “farmers were encouraged to cultivate and sell the vine and olive.” As land ownership shifted from the wealthy to members of the lower class, more people had social power in society. The stressed importance of agriculture created a stable class of farmers. In addition to improving the lives of farmers, better agriculture improved all of society through always having enough food and generating more money through taxes. The produce that was sold by the farmers was taxed. The amount money that the government received from these tax reforms was enough to continue to improve society. As a result of all of his policies, Peisistratus gained support, and was considered as a"friend of the people". People were