Archaic tyrants

ancient Greek philosopher and politician

Pisistratus (also spelled Peisistratus or Peisistratos; ;  – 527 BC) was a politician in ancient Athens, ruling as tyrant in the late 560s, the early 550s and from 546 BC until his death. His unification of Attica, the triangular peninsula of Greece containing Athens, along with economic and cultural improvements laid the groundwork for the later pre-eminence of Athens in ancient Greece. His legacy lies primarily in his institution of the Panathenaic Games, historically assigned the date of 566 BC, and the consequent first attempt at producing a definitive version of the Homeric epic

Polycrates (; ), son of Aeaces, was the tyrant of Samos from the 540s BC to 522 BC. He had a reputation as both a fierce warrior and an enlightened tyrant.

Tyrant of Athens from 527 to 510 BC

Aristagoras of Miletus (), d. 497/496 BC, was the tyrant of the Ionian city of Miletus in the late 6th century BC and early 5th century BC. He acted as one of the instigators of the Ionian Revolt against the Persian Achaemenid Empire. He was the son-in-law of Histiaeus and was granted the tyranny of Miletus from him.

Cypselus (, Kypselos) was the first tyrant of Corinth in the 7th century BC.

thumb|upright=1.2|Electrum coinage of Miletus, around the birth of Histiaeus. Circa 600-550 BC. thumb|upright=1.2|Coinage of Miletus at the time of Histiaeus. AR Obol (9mm, 1.07 g). Forepart of lion left, head right. Stellate and floral design within incuse square. Late 6th-early 5th century BC. Histiaeus (, died 493 BC), the son of Lysagoras, was a Greek ruler of Miletus in the late 6th century BC. Histiaeus was tyrant of Miletus under Darius I, king of Persia, who had subjugated Miletus and the other Ionian states in Asia Minor, and who generally appointed Greeks as tyrants to rule

6th-century BC tyrant of Sicyon

tyrant

tyrant of Miletus

Greek tyrant of Naxos from c. 546 BC to c. 524 BC

thumb|Coinage of Samos at the time of Syloson. Circa 500-494 BCE. Syloson (, gen.: Συλοσῶνος) governed Samos as a vassal ruler on behalf of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. He was appointed by king Darius I and was the brother of Polycrates of Samos.

Corinthian, son of Periander

Hippoclus (), tyrant of Lampsacus, to whose son, Aeantides, Hippias gave his daughter Archedice in marriage, induced thereto, says Thucydides, by consideration of his influence at the Persian court.