Demes of Attica (2022)
Mapping the Geography of Athenian Democracy
Athenian democracy took form over the course of the 6th century BCE, but was solidified by Cleisthenes' reforms of 508/507 BCE. Cleisthenes introduced a new organization of Athens' citizenry that broke up the domination of aristocratic families and gave political power to every free Athenian citizen. The voting population was divided into ten wholly new Phylai (tribes), each of which was spread over three Trittyses (regions) and consisted of several demes that formed local political communities. These demes each sent a number of representatives to the Boule, which was a council of 500 citizens that ran daily affairs in Attica.
These maps are geographic representations of the organization of Athenian democracy and display all demes with confirmed locations. Interact with these maps to explore each deme and see how it fits in the larger political geography of Attica.
Note: All data was based on John Traill's 1975 study of the organization of Athenian democracy and was entered by students in HIST 3052 at the University of Minnesota. These maps do not claim to be authoritative and may contain errors.