Collected Works of Xenophon

† Thucydides of Athens wrote the history of the war between †

† the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, as they fought against one another, having begun as soon as it was breaking out, and he expected it to be a great war and the most worthy of account of all that had occurred before it, judging by the fact that both sides were at their peak in every kind of preparation, and he saw the rest of the Hellenic world joining either one side or the other, some immediately, and others planning to do so. For this movement was the greatest for the Hellenes and for a part of the barbarians, and, so to speak, for most of humanity. For the things before these, and those even older, it was impossible to discern clearly due to the length of time, but judging from the evidence, as far back as I have looked, I do not believe they were great, either in terms of wars or in other matters. For what is now called Hellas appears not to have been firmly settled long ago, but rather that there were migrations in earlier times, and each group easily abandoned their own land while being forced by certain groups that were always more numerous. For since there was no trade, and they did not mingle safely with one another, either by land or by sea, and each group used their own property only to survive, and they had no surplus of wealth, nor did they plant the land, it being uncertain when someone might come and take it away, as they were also without walls, and since they believed they could obtain their daily necessary food anywhere, they moved away without difficulty. Because of this, they did not have strength through the size of their cities or other preparations. Most of all, the land that is best always had changes of inhabitants, such as what is now called Thessaly and Boeotia, and most of the Peloponnese except for Arcadia, and as much of the rest as was most excellent. For because of the richness of the soil, some powers became greater, which caused factions from which they were destroyed, and at the same time, they were more plotted against by foreigners. †

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[illegible — approximately 4 lines]?
For the best of the land always had changes of inhabitants; that which is now called Thessaly and Boeotia, and most of the Peloponnese except for Arcadia, and as much of the rest as was most excellent. For because of the richness of the soil, some powers became greater, which caused factions from which they were destroyed, and at the same time, they were more plotted against by foreigners.?
The Attic land, at any rate, because of its thin soil, was free from factions and was inhabited by the same people always; and this is not the least evidence of my argument, as the migration did not cause it to grow like the others. For those who were exiled by war or faction from the rest of Hellas came to the Athenians, as it was a secure place, and becoming citizens from olden times, they made the city even greater in the number of people, so that even later they sent out colonies to Ionia, as Attica was not sufficient.?