According to the tally, three hundred prisoners of war chose to return home, while the remaining two hundred preferred to stay and live in the Peloponnese. The overwhelming majority were Greeks.
As for how to settle these people—and the even greater number of prisoners that would come in the future—Treasurer Savard offered a specific plan:
"Your Highness, I suggest settling the prisoners inland. They can fell trees, process the timber, and sell it outside in exchange for food and daily necessities.
"During that time, they can reclaim farmland and plant olive trees on the slopes. By the time the forests have been nearly cleared, the fields should be fully reclaimed, and the olive trees will have matured enough to blossom and bear fruit."
"Inland?" Vitus picked out several suitable locations on the map and led his guards there for an on-site inspection.
Rainfall was scarce in the interior of the Peloponnese. Along the way, Vitus saw slopes covered mainly with drought-resistant sclerophyll forests and scrub, with few lush, dense woods in sight.
Perhaps because summer was too scorching, the vegetation as a whole leaned toward yellowish green rather than the fresh verdure of mid-spring. Dry dust hung in the air, and on some slopes, overgrazing by goats had left the vegetation even thinner.
"This place cannot support more inhabitants. Keep moving!"
The party continued deeper inland. Every so often, they passed a village where nearby slopes had been carved into terraced fields, planted with drought-resistant olive and fig trees. Their leaves gleamed painfully beneath the blazing sun.
After two days of travel, they discovered an abandoned village. Its houses had collapsed, and weeds ran rampant through the surrounding fields. The clerks made a rough measurement: if the wasteland were reclaimed into farmland, it could support 150 to 200 households.
"The