Deme
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[[Image:AGMA Pinakia.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Pinax|Pinakia]], identification tablets (name, father's name, deme) used for tasks like [[jury]] selection, Museum at the [[Ancient Agora of Athens]]]]In [[Ancient Greece]], a '''''deme''''' ('''δῆμος''') was a subdivision of [[Attica]], the region of [[Greece]] surrounding [[Athens]]. Demes as simple subdivisions of land in the countryside seem to have existed in the 6th century BC and earlier, but did not acquire particular significance until the reforms of [[Cleisthenes]] in [[508 BC]]. In those reforms, enrollment in the citizen-lists of a deme became the requirement for citizenship; prior to that time, citizenship had been based on membership in a [[phratry]], or family group. At this same time, demes were established in the city of Athens itself, where they had not previously existed; in all, at the end of Cleisthenes' reforms, Attica was divided into 139 demes. The establishment of demes as the fundamental units of the state weakened the [[genos|gene]], or aristocratic family groups, that had dominated the phratries.<ref>J.V. Fine, ''The Ancient Greeks: A Critical History''</ref>
A deme functioned to some degree as a [[polis]] in miniature, and indeed some demes, such as [[Eleusis]] and [[Acharnae]], were in fact significant towns. Each deme had a ''demarchos'' who supervised its affairs; various other civil, religious, and military functionaries existed in various demes. Demes held their own religious festivals and collected and spent revenue.<ref>David Whitehead, "Deme" from the ''Oxford Classical Dictionary'', Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth ed.</ref>
Demes were combined with other demes from the same area to make [[trittys|trittyes]], larger population groups, which in turn were combined to form the ten tribes, or [[phyle]]s of Athens. Each tribe contained one trittys from each of three regions, the city, the coast, and the inland area.
==List of Athenian demes according to tribes/phylai==
===Erechthides===
:[[Upper Agryle]]
:[[Lower Agryle]]
:[[Anagyrous]]
:[[Euonymon]]
:[[Themakos]]
:[[Kedoi]]
:[[Kephisia]]
:[[Upper Lamptrai]]
:[[Lower Lamptrai]]
:[[Pambotadai]]
:[[Upper Pergase]]
:[[Lower Pergase]]
:[[Phegous]]
===Aegides===
:[[Upper Ankyle]]
:[[Lower Ankyle]]
:[[Araphen]]
:[[Halai Araphenides]]
:[[Bate (deme)|Bate]]
:[[Gargettos]]
:[[Diomeia]]
:[[Hestiaia]]
:[[Erikeia]]
:[[Erchia]]
:[[Ikarion]]
:[[Ionidai]]
:[[Kollytos]]
:[[Colonus|Kolonus]]
:[[Kydantidai]]
:[[Myrrhinoutta]]
:[[Otryne]]
:[[Plotheia]]
:[[Teithras]]
:[[Phegaia]]
:[[Philaidai]]
===Pandionides===
:[[Angele]]
:[[Konthyle]]
:[[Kydathenaion]]
:[[Kytheros]]
:[[Myrrhinous]]
:[[Oa]]
:[[Prasiai]]
:[[Probalinthos]]
:[[Upper Paiania]]
:[[Lower Paiania]]
:[[Steiria]]
===Leontides===
:[[Aithalidai]]
:[[Halimous]]
:[[Deiradiotai]]
:[[Hecale]]
:[[Eupyridai]]
:[[Kettos]]
:[[Kolonai]]
:[[Kropidai]]
:[[Leukonion]]
:[[Oion Kerameikon]]
:[[Paionidai]]
:[[Pelekes]]
:[[Upper Potamos]]
:[[Lower Potamos]]
:[[Potamioi-Deiradiotai]]
:[[Skambonidai]]
:[[Sounion]]
:[[Hybadai]]
:[[Phrearrhioi]]
:[[Cholleidai]]
===Acamantides===
:[[Hagnous]]
:[[Eiresidai]]
:[[Eitea]]
:[[Hermos]]
:[[Iphistiadai]]
:[[Thorikos]]
:[[Kerameis]]
:[[Kephale]]
:[[Kikynna]]
:[[Kyrteidai]]
:[[Poros]]
:[[Prospalta]]
:[[Sphettos]]
:[[Cholargos]]
===Oenides===
:[[Acharnai]]
:[[Boutadai]]
:[[Epikephisia]]
:[[Thria]]
:[[Hippotomadai]]
:[[Kothokidai]]
:[[Lakiadai]]
:[[Lousia]]
:[[Oe]]
:[[Perithoidai]]
:[[Ptelea]]
:[[Tyrmeidai]]
:[[Phyle]]
===Cecropides===
:[[Athmonon]]
:[[Aixone]]
:[[Halai]]
:[[Daidalidai]]
:[[Epieikidai]]
:[[Melite]]
:[[Xypete]]
:[[Pithos]]
:[[Sypalettos]]
:[[Trinemeia]]
:[[Phlya]]
===Hippothoontides===
:[[Azenia]]
:[[Hamaxanteia]]
:[[Anakaia]]
:[[Auridai]]
:[[Acherdous]]
:[[Dekeleia]]
:[[Elaious]]
:[[Eleusis]]
:[[Eroiadai]]
:[[Thymaitadai]]
:[[Keiriadai]]
:[[Koile]]
:[[Kopros]]
:[[Korydallos]]
:[[Oenoe (Attica)|Oenoe]] (of the west)
:[[Oion Dekeleikon]]
:[[Peiraeus]]
===Æantides===
:[[Aphidna]]
:[[Marathon]]
:[[Oenoe (Attica)|Oenoe]] (of the east)
:[[Rhamnous]]
:[[Trikorynthos]]
:[[Phaleron]]
===Antiochides===
:[[Aigilia]]
:[[Alopeke]]
:[[Amphitrope]]
:[[Anaphlystos]]
:[[Atene]]
:[[Besa]]
:[[Eitea]]
:[[Eroidai]]
:[[Ergadeis]]
:[[Thorai]]
:[[Kolonai]]
:[[Krioa]]
:[[Leukopyra]]
:[[Pallene]]
:[[Semachidai]]
:[[Phyrrhinesioi]]
== Later usage ==
The term ''deme'' (''dēmos'') survived into the Hellenistic and Roman eras. By the time of the [[Byzantine Empire]], the term was used to refer to one of the four [[chariot racing]] factions, the Reds, the Blues, the Greens and the Whites.
In modern Greece, the term ''dēmos'' is used to denote the [[Municipalities of Greece|municipalities]].
== References ==
*Fine, John V.A. ''The Ancient Greeks: A critical history'' (Harvard University Press, 1983) ISBN 0-674-03314-0
*Hornblower, Simon, and Anthony Spawforth ed., ''The Oxford Classical Dictionary'' (Oxford University Press, 2003) ISBN 0-19-866172-X
*Suzanne, Bernard (1998). ''plato-dialogues.org'', [http://plato-dialogues.org/tools/attica.htm#demoi "Attic Tribes and Demes"]. Accessed August 1, 2006
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{Types of administrative country subdivision|state=collapsed}}
[[Category:Ancient Greece]]
[[Category:History of Athens]]
[[es:Demo (Grecia)]]
[[fr:Dème (Athènes antique)]]
[[it:Demo (Atene)]]
[[nl:Deme (bestuur)]]
[[no:Deme]]
[[pl:Deme]]
[[ru:Демы]]