Corinth also established itself as a manufacturing centre in its own right, and its merchant fleet controlled a large proportion of the freight trade in the West. Its position on the isthmus made it pivotal in controlling the trade routes east and west, particularly as the voyage around the Peloponnese (Cape Malea) was so hazardous. However, all of this is quite speculative.Ĭorinth was one of the wealthiest cities of Greece where trade was not as despised as in some other city-states. From that basis he would have been able to overthrow the aristocratic government. His increased power would have come through the support he enjoyed from the hoplite militia. It is arguable that this was as a result of his introduction of hoplite tactics which would also account for his victory over the Spartans. It is probable that Pheidon was a constitutional king who developed into a tyrant. Following the death of Temenus the Argolid divided into smaller states, but Pheidon is credited with having “regained the lot of Temenus” - that is, with reuniting the Argolid under Argive rule. According to legend (as related by Ephorus) the Peloponnese was divided among the three descendants of Heracles - one brother received Messenia, the second Lacdeaimon and the third, Temenus, the Argolid. It is possible that Pheidon was responsible for the Argive victory over the Spartans at the battle of Hysiai in 669 BC, which was fought over the dispute between Sparta and Argos regarding the border plain of Thyrea. However, Ephorus places Pheidon earlier than this, and Herodotus fifty years later. It can be argued that he gave military and political support to the Pisatans who gained control of the Olympiad in either the 8th (748 BC) or 28th (668 BC) games. He is mentioned by Herodotus has having expelled the Elean presidents from the Olympian Games. There is some difficulty about dating the events associated with the life of King Pheidon of Argos. However, three poets of the period, Tyrtaeus of Sparta, Alcaeus of Mytilene and Solon of Athens are useful primary sources however, they were writing poetry not history. Ephorus of Cyme during the middle of the C4th BC wrote a history of the period, but his work is lost and only fragments remain even so, Ephorus, like Herodotus, was not careful to distinguish fact from legend. The quality of the primary sources for this period is doubtful. The majority of tyrants were aristocrats who opted to oppose their class interest and become champions of the people. Aristotle in his Politics identified the main reason why tyrants came to power: “The tyrant is installed in power from among the people and the masses against the wealthy so that the people suffer no injustice at their hands.” He also noted that on other occasions a king might aim at becoming a despot, or an aristocrat achieve preeminence. The leaders of a successful faction would be called tyrannus (tyrant), a term which did not originally have the negative associations that it carries today. Factions among the nobles could cause the leaders of one faction to ally with the revolutionary sentiments, though it is not always the case that revolutions were lead by disaffected aristocrats. However, the term “tyrant” does not necessarily imply brutality, and many of the Greek tyrants ruled with a measure of popular support usually, the first generation tyrants were brought to power by popular feeling and the second generation tyrants, losing this popular basis, would resort to force and subsequently be overthrown. Tyrants also came to power in many cities of Ionia and Sicily. From 650 when Cypselus established a tyranny at Corinth to 510 when the sons of Peisistratus fell at Athens many Greek cities were controlled by tyrants.
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