Ancient Europe

Europe in ancient times - we have the history.

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cleruchy

In ancient Greece, a body of Athenian citizens in a dependent country holding grants of land awarded by Athens. Athens used the cleruchy to cripple dependent states; plantations took the best land, and the colonizers formed military garrisons. Salamis, captured in the 6th century BC, may have held the earliest cleruchy. Under the Delian League and the Second Athenian League (5th–4th century BC), the cleruchy was a regular instrument of Athenian imperialism. The financial advantage of being a cleruch encouraged many citizens to leave Athens, relieving population pressures.

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