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No debate in Thucydides, probably, is more famous than that pitting Cleon with Diodotus in Thuc. 3. 37 ff. The issue dividing them concerned the ultimate disposition of the Mytilenians after their rebellion failed and they were reduced into submission in spring 427. On the day just previous to this debate, Cleon had passed a resolution to condemn all Mytilenian men to death and sell the women and children into captivity. But the severity of this punishment gave the Athenians second thoughts and, after now hearing the case reargued by Cleon and Diodotus, the ecclesia modified the punishment in a very close vote (49.1). The Athenians limited themselves to execution of the most guilty (over a thousand oligarchs, though this huge number has been doubted)1, tore down Mytilene's walls and deprived the formerly autonomous state of its navy (50.1). Sometime later, ..., instead of assessing tribute, they divided the land into 3000 kleroi, 300 of which were apportioned to the gods, while to the rest they despatched klerouchs chosen by lot. To each of these klerouchs the Mytilenians were required to pay two minae yearly while they themselves worked the land (50.2). In Thucydides' words,
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'Later, (the Athenians) did not assess tribute from the Lesbians but made kleroi, land-allotments, out of the land, except for Methymna. Of the 3,000 lots they separated out 300 consecrated to the gods; to the rest they dispatched men of their own as klerouchs selected by lot. The Lesbians were assessed to pay money amounting to two minai yearly for each kleros and worked the land themselves.'
The enigmatical inscription, IG I3 66, contributes further information although it is difficult to be certain of the details because so much of the original decree is missing. As we have it, it is a remarkable text assembled over the years with great ingenuity, for it consists of some seven fragments early identified as part of the same stone but which are, for the most part, disiecta membra. Of these fragments it was early seen that two, usefully numbered by Bradeen and McGregor2 as numbers 6 and 7, join perfectly to form fragment d, our largest continuous piece of this sadly dismembered text. A glance at...