I. In gen., a monarch, ruler, sovereign, king (rare, and mostly poet.): “tyrannusque fuerat appellatus (Miltiades), sed justus ... omnes autem et dicuntur et habentur tyranni, qui potestate sunt perpetuā in eā civitate, quae libertate usa est,” Nep. Milt. 8, 3; Verg. A. 4, 320; 7, 266; Ov. M. 6, 436; 6, 581; Luc. 7, 227; Val. Fl. 5, 388; 5, 548.—Of the Spartan king Nabis, Liv. 35, 12, 7.—Of Neptune, Ov. M. 1, 276.—Of Pluto, Ov. M. 5, 508.—Of the constellation Capricornus, because it ruled over, influenced the ocean, Hor C. 2, 17, 19.—
II. In partic., a cruel or severe ruler, a despot, tyrant: “tyrannorum vita,” Cic. Lael. 15, 52; id. Phil. 13, 8, 18; id. Vatin. 9, 23: “importunus atque amens,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 40, § 103; id. Mil. 13, 35; id. Tusc. 5, 20, 57: “cum exitiabilis tyrannus (urbem) vi atque armis oppressit,” Liv. 29, 17, 19: “tyrannorum ingeniis mors est remedium,” Sen. Ben. 7, 20, 3; Flor. 1, 7, 3; Val. Max. 3, 1, 2; Verg. G. 4, 492; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 58: animus noster modo rex est. modo tyrannus; “ubi impotens, cupidus, delicatus est, transit in nomen detestabile ac dirum, et fit tyrannus,” Sen. Ep. 114, 24.—Gen. plur.: tyrannūm novi temeritudinem, Pac. ap. Non. 181, 23 (Trag. Rel. p. 79 Rib.: non tyrannum novi, as acc. sing.).
