Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/188

170 HISTORY OF GREECE. proved their rescue, and enabled them to turn the whole of their attention to the other frontier. They marched into Bocotia to the strait called Euripus, which separates it from Euboea, intending to prevent the junction of the Boeotians and Chalkidians, and to attack the latter first apart. But the arrival of the Boeotians caused an alteration in theii scheme ; they attacked the Boeotians first, and gained a victory of the most complete character, kill- ing a large number, and capturing seven hundred prisoners. On the very same day they crossed over to Euboea, attacked the vjhalkidians, and gained another victory so decisive that it at once terminated the war. Many Chalkidians were taken, as well as Boeotians, and conveyed in chains to Athens, where after a certain detention they were at last ransomed for two minae per man ; and the tenth of the sum thus raised was employed in the fabrication of a chariot and four horses in bronze, which was placed in the acropolis to commemorate the victory. Herodotus saw this trophy when he was at Athens. He saw too, what was a still more speaking trophy, the actual chains in which the prison- ers had been fettered, exhibiting in their appearance the damage undergone when the acropolis was burnt by Xerxes : an in- scription of four lines described the offerings and recorded the victory out of which they had sprung. 1 Another consequence of some moment arose out of this victory. The Athenians planted a body of four thousand of their citi- zens as kleruchs (lot-holders) or settlers upon the lands of the wealthy Chalkidian oligarchy called the Hippobotse, proprie- tors probably in the fertile plain of Lelantum, between Chalkis and Eretria. This is a system which we shall %id hereafter ex- tensively followed out by the Athenians in tLe days of their power ; partly with the view of providing for their poorer citi- zens, partly to serve as garrison among a population either hostile or of doubtful fidelity. These Attic kleruchs (I can find no other name by which to speak of them) did not lose their birthright as Athenian citizens : they were not colonists in the Grecian sense, and they are known by a totally different name, but they corresponded very nearly to the colonies formally planted out on the conquered lands by Rome. The increase of Hcrodet. v, 77 ; JElism, V. II. vi, 1 ; Tausan i. 28, 2.