Cleruchy

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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Cleruchy 

an ancient Greek military-farming colony established in subjugated or allied states.They were set up to provide landless citizens with land and to consolidate military-political control over allies. The Athenians created the largest number (the first was founded on the island of Salamis around 570 B.C.), especially during the existence of the Delian League. The inhabitants of the colonies remained Athenian citizens. The cleruchies aroused the discontent of the allies, and, around the time of the Second Athenian League (founded 378–377 B.C.), the Athenians were forced to relinquish them.