Why did Greek colonists like to settle in Sicily?
Even with the constant wars between the cities, the rate of
breeding in a pre-contraception age produced heavy population
increases in mainland Greece. Greece had mostly poor soil, and with
their household plots of land of about a hectare, it could not be
divided amongst several children, so the surplus was placed on
ships and sent to colonise and make a living for themselves in
other parts. So these colonies sprouted all around the
Mediterranean and Black Seas. It was also a way for the
non-propertied bottom class to gain farmholder status by joining
these expeditions, and a way of getting rid of unpopular upper
class people to lead the colony expeditions.
The first colonies went east to Asia Minor where a couple of hundred cities were established, then to the west - Italy, Sicily, North Africa, Gaul.
Sicily became popular as a large island with a fertile coast, a good climate and the local population of Sicels unable to put up effective resistance and forced into the mountainous interior.
These colonies later became a problem as the Persians in the East and the Carthaginians and Romans in the West imposed their rule on them.
The first colonies went east to Asia Minor where a couple of hundred cities were established, then to the west - Italy, Sicily, North Africa, Gaul.
Sicily became popular as a large island with a fertile coast, a good climate and the local population of Sicels unable to put up effective resistance and forced into the mountainous interior.
These colonies later became a problem as the Persians in the East and the Carthaginians and Romans in the West imposed their rule on them.