Plutocracy
A form of government in which the wealthy hold power, derived from Ploutos, the Greek god of wealth, combined with kratos, meaning rule or power
The Meaning of Plutocracy
The word "plutocracy" combines the Greek Ploutos (wealth) with kratos (rule), creating a term for governance by the rich. Ploutos was the Greek god of agricultural wealth, the son of Demeter and the mortal Iasion, who lay together in a thrice-ploughed field in Crete. Zeus blinded Ploutos so that he would distribute wealth randomly rather than only to the deserving — explaining why fortune so often favours the unworthy. In Aristophanes's comedy Plutus, the god's sight is restored, and wealth flows only to good people, upending Athenian society. The political term "plutocracy" emerged in the seventeenth century and has been applied to societies where economic power translates directly into political influence. Ancient Athens itself debated this tension: the demokratia gave political power to all citizens, but critics like the Old Oligarch noted that wealth always found ways to assert itself. The word remains central to modern political discourse, appearing in discussions of campaign finance, wealth inequality, and the influence of corporations on governance. Related terms include plutocrat and plutocratic.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
Zeus deliberately blinded the god of wealth so that riches would be distributed randomly, which the Greeks used to explain why bad people often prosper
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Democracy
💭 conceptPolitical science and Athens
A system of government in which power is held by the people, invented in Athens around 508 BCE and derived from the Greek demos (people) and kratos (power or rule)
Tyranny
💭 conceptPolitical science and Athens
A form of government ruled by a single individual who seized power unconstitutionally, derived from the Greek tyrannos, which originally carried no negative connotation
Hēgemonia
💭 conceptpolitics, history
Leadership, supremacy, or the dominant position of one state over others — the claim to lead a voluntary alliance that could easily become imperial control.
Koros
💭 conceptethics, mythology
Satiety or excess — the dangerous state of having too much, which leads to hybris and then to ate and destruction in the Greek moral cycle.
Aristos
💭 conceptsocial structure, ethics
The best — the superlative of agathos (good), identifying those who excel in virtue, birth, or achievement above all others.
Enantiodromia
💭 conceptphilosophy
The tendency of extremes to reverse into their opposites — the principle that things carried to their limit swing back toward what they denied.
Ekklesia
💭 conceptpolitics, institutions
The assembly of all male citizens in the Athenian democracy — the sovereign decision-making body that met regularly on the Pnyx hill.
Autarchia
💭 conceptphilosophy, politics
Self-sufficiency — the condition of needing nothing beyond oneself, whether applied to individuals, cities, or the ideal philosophical life.
Athenian Kings
💭 conceptDynasty, Athens
The legendary succession of early rulers of Athens from the earth-born Cecrops to the hero-king Theseus
Promethean
💭 conceptLanguage and ambition
An English adjective meaning daringly creative, rebellious, or boldly innovative, derived from the Titan Prometheus who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity
Jovial
💭 conceptCheerfulness, good humour, warmth
Cheerful and good-humoured, from Jove (Jupiter/Zeus), whose planet was thought to bring happiness.
Hubris
💭 conceptThe overstepping that invites divine punishment
The supreme Greek sin of overstepping one's mortal bounds, degrading others, or presuming equality with the gods.