Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/197

 The Age of the Nobles and the Tyrants iii Greece 153 fortunes among a class before obscure. There arose a prosper- ous industrial and commercial middle class who demanded a voice in the government. At the beginning of the sixth century B.C. even a noble like Solon could say, ^' Money makes the man." Section 26. Rise of the Democracy and the Age of the Tyrants While the prosperous capitalistic class was thus arising, the Decline of condition of the peasant on his lands grew steadily worse. His and thrconv fields were dotted with stones, each the si^n of a morts^ao-e. The '"S of the ^ ^ ^ "tyrants" wealthy creditors were foreclosing these mortgages and taking the lands ; and the unhappy owners were being sold into foreign slavery, or were fleeing abroad to escape such bonds. The eupatrids in control did nothing as a class to improve the situa- tion. They were usually divided among themselves into hostile factions, however, and in time able leaders among them placed themselves at the head of the dissatisfied people in real or feigned sympathy with their cause. In this way such a leader of the nobles was able to gain the support of the people, and thus to overcome and expel his own rivals among the noble class and gain control of the State. Such a ruler was in reality a king ; but the new king differed The " tyrant " from the kings of old, in that he had no royal ancestors and had opinFon of seized the control of the State by violence. The people did not ^'^ °^^^ reverence him as of ancient royal lineage, and while they may have feit gratitude to him, they felt no loyalty. The position of such a ruler always remained insecure. The Greeks called such a man a '' tyrant," which was not at that time a term of reproach as it is with us. The word " tyranny " was merely a term for the high office held by such a ruler. Nevertheless the instinctive feeling of the Greeks was that they were no longer free under such a prince, and the slayer of a tyrant was regarded as a hero and savior of the people.