They seldom acknowledged themselves subject to the dominion of the mother city.

他们很少承认自己受母城的统治。

They had plenty of good land; and as they were altogether independent of the mother city, they were at liberty to manage their own affairs in the way that they judged was most suitable to their own interest.

他们有很多好土地；由于他们完全独立于母城，他们可以按照他们认为最适合自己利益的方式自由地管理自己的事务。