AR225 Lecture 4: AR225 Lesson 4
Document Summary
As poleis grew and prospered, they began producing a surplus of goods (e. g. olive oil, wine, ceramic pottery: trade led to more affluence (wealth) and an increase in population. The archaic age was a period of expansion and prosperity: logical consequence was colonization. Delphi (center of greek religion) acted as a clearing house for this process: e. g. Island of thera consulted the oracle at delphi, advised to found a colony in cyrene, North africa became leading producer of silphium, made cyrene wealthy. The rise of the commercial class led to structural changes in society: aristocracy started losing power, replaced by the tyrant. Most scholars believe that the tyrants were marginalized members of the established aristocracy: not all tyrants had aristocratic connections (e. g. orthagorus, tyrant of sicyon, was the son of a cook) Like the big man, the tyrant achieved dominance through charisma and acts of generousity: legitimated authority through generousity and self-advertisement.