107
On account of these services it becomes all thinking men to be deeply grateful to us, much rather than to reproach us because of our system of colonization;Allotments of lands to Athenian colonists in Greek territory, as in Scione and Melos. See note on 101. For these “cleruchies,” as they were called, see Gardner and Jevons, Manual of Greek Antiquities, pp. 602 ff. for we sent our colonies into the depopulated states for the protection of their territories and not for our own aggrandizement. And here is proof of this: We had in proportion to the number of our citizens a very small territory,The total population including foreign residents and slaves is reckoned at about 500,000; the total area is about 700 square miles. but a very great empire; we possessed twice as many ships of war as all the rest combined,See Thuc. 2.13 and Thuc. 8.79. and these were strong enough to engage double their number; at the very borders of Attica lay Euboea,
108
which was not only fitted by her situation to command the sea, but also surpassed all the islands in her general resources,Herodotus characterizes Euboea as a “large and prosperous” island, Hdt. 5.31. Cf. Thuc. 8.96. and Euboea lent itself more readily to our control than did our own country besides, while we knew that both among the Hellenes and among the barbarians those are regarded most highly who have driven their neighbors from their homesThis cynical remark points to the Spartan conquest of Messene. and have so secured for themselves a life of affluence and ease, nevertheless, none of these considerations tempted us to wrong the people of the island;
