Definition: A tyrant in ancient Greece meant something different from our modern concept of tyrant as a cruel and oppressive despot. A tyrant was little more than a leader who had overturned an existing regime and was, therefore, an illegitimate ruler. Tyrants even had some measure of popular support, usually. Tyrants were sometimes preferred to aristocrats and kings.
Examples:
Cylon was one of Athens' tyrants. He was also an Olympic athlete and married to the daughter of another tyrant.Peisistratus (Pisistratus) was one of the most famous of the Athenian tyrants. It was after the fall of the sons of Peisistratus that Cleisthenes and democracy came to Athens. See Rise of Democracy.
