In the fifth century B.C. athenian colonists had been called after the name of their location by the Athenians for example "Lemnians" or "Imbrians". But at the beginning of the fourth century B.C. the phrases were changed. They called themselves "Athenians living on Lemnos" or "Athenians living on Imbros". In accordance with this the Athenians began to call them "our citizens" and the colonies "our possessions". This phenomenon indicating as if the metropolis and her colonies three days away by sea united is remarkable as a transformation of polis.
In this paper the problem of transformation of polis will be discussed. Chapter 1. deals with the reason why such a phenomenon occerred. In general, it has been said that the colonists called "Lemnians" were expelled by Lysander in 404, and new colonists were sent, who were called "Athenians living on Lemnon". In fact, however, the Lemnians remained and were separated from their mother city as autonomous polis. Mother city and her colony were strongly linked by a rotation of land tenure. It was, therefore, necessary not only for the Athenians but also the Lemnians to declare that the colony was not a mere colony but a part of Attika. Chapter 2. clarifies the intimate relation between the metropolis and the colony. Chapter 3. tries to show what a reaction against such a change of polis polis-citizen did. Here register of a son of colonist is mainly examined. He was Epikouros the philosopher who had to go back to Athen for that at the age of eighteen and to engage himself in two-year military service ephebie. This is a institution of recognizing each citizen each other and polls. But this institution did not function well. He was doubted as a pseudo-citizen.
The polis had to become big, but polis-citizen would have their ideal form of state and society so called face to face society. The fourth century B.C. was a time of dilemma.