Bacchiadae

The Bakchiads (Greek Βακχιάδαι Bakchiadai ) is an ancient Corinthian noble family, named after the fifth king of Corinth, Bacchis. Your ancestry lead them back to the Heraclides, from 748 BC they practiced almost a century from an exclusive oligarchic rule, the city experienced a strong economic recovery under their rule. They selected each year a new head of state from among them, a so-called Prytanis and treated according to Strabo, the proceeds from the bustling trade of Corinth as private income. Trains a tyranny were here already seen most of the other Corinthian noble families had to emigrate. Two famous towns were founded by emigrants Heraclidae, once the hostile from the beginning by Chersikrates Corcyra and Syracuse by Archias. After losing to Kerkyra to 660 BC, the first naval battle in Greek history, the dynasty was overthrown by the Bakchiads 657 BC by the lower classes. The brutality of their rule had long been unpopular they made ​​with the people. Not to be confused with the cult they are worshipers of Dionysus, the Bacchae.