CLĒRŪCHI (κληροῦχοι), the name of Athenian citizens who occupied
conquered lands; their possession was called _cleruchia_ (κληρουχία).
The Athenian Cleruchi differed from the ἄποικοι or ordinary
colonists. The only object of the earlier colonies was to relieve
surplus population, or to provide a home for those whom internal
quarrels had exiled from their country. Most usually they originated
in private enterprise, and became independent of, and lost their
interest in, the parent state. On the other hand, it was essential
to the very notion of a _cleruchia_ that it should be a public
enterprise, and should always retain a connection more or less
intimate with Athens herself. The connection with the parent state
subsisted in all degrees. Sometimes, as in the case of Lesbos, the
holders of land did not reside upon their estates, but let them to
the original inhabitants, while themselves remained at Athens. The
condition of these cleruchi did not differ from that of Athenian
citizens who had estates in Attica. All their political rights they
not only retained, but exercised as Athenians. Another case was where
the cleruchi resided on their estates, and either with or without
the old inhabitants, formed a new community. These still retained
the rights of Athenian citizens, which distance only precluded them
from exercising: they used the Athenian courts; and if they or their
children wished to return to Athens, naturally and of course they
regained the exercise of their former privileges. Sometimes, however,
the connection might gradually dissolve, and the cleruchi sink into
the condition of mere allies, or separate wholly from the mother
country. It was to Pericles that Athens was chiefly indebted for the
extension and permanence of her colonial settlements. His principal
object was to provide for the redundancies of population, and raise
the poorer citizens to a fortune becoming the dignity of Athenian
citizens. It was of this class of persons that the settlers were
chiefly composed; the state provided them with arms, and defrayed the
expenses of their journey. The Cleruchiae were lost by the battle of
Aegospotami, but partially restored on the revival of Athenian power.
CLĒTĒRES or CLĒTORES (κλητῆρες, κλῆτορες), summoners, were at Athens
not official persons, but merely witnesses to the prosecutor that he
had served the defendant with a notice of the action brought against
him, and the day upon which it would be requisite for him to appear
before the proper magistrate.