Tyrant, Greek tyrannos, a cruel and oppressive ruler or, in ancient Greece, a ruler who seized power unconstitutionally or inherited such power. ... Thus, the opportunity arose for ambitious men to seize power in the name of the oppressed.That model was emulated across Greece in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, as new tyrants emerged by creating military states. These tyrants maintained control by expanding the spheres of power controlled by their city-states.
