Daga 650 BC gaba, aristocracies ya yi yaƙi ba za a kifar da kuma maye gurbinsu da populist azzalumai. Wannan kalma ta samo asali ne daga non-pejorative Helenanci τύραννος tyrannos, ma'ana 'ba bisa doka ba m', kuma ya shafi duka biyu kyau da kuma mummunan shugabanni. A girma yawan jama'a da kuma karancin ƙasa kuma sun bayyana sun haifar da rikice-rikice na ciki tsakanin matalauta da matalauta a cikin birane-jihohi. A cikin 680 BC, Messenian mamayewa ya haifar da tashin hankali ga birane-jihohi da yawa.
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