tyranny

In the present paper the author analyses the evidence of the archaic Greek lyrics containing mentions of tyrants and tyranny and presents her version of the answer to the question who and why were called tyrants by the Greeks in the archaic period.

The article deals with the fate of the first Athenian coinage (coins known under the conventional name of Wappenmünzen) at its latest stage, when there took place a transition to coins of principally new type (“head of Athena – owl”, ΑΘΕ), which later became so glorious. The author connects the transition mentioned with the fall of tyranny in 510 BC and dates a little earlier beginning of Wappenmünzen tetradrachms issuing to 514–513 BC, while correlating it with such events as the tyrants Hippias’ clash with aristocrats and hardening of his policies.