What were the demes in ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire?

In ancient Athens, demes were local territorial subdivisions that became the foundational requirement for citizenship following the reforms of Cleisthenes. Centuries later, in the Roman and Byzantine Empires, the term deme referred to chariot racing factions that evolved into powerful social and political groups. While the ancient Greek demes decentralized power from aristocratic family groups, the Byzantine demes frequently participated in major religious and political conflicts.

What we know

• Enrollment in the citizen-lists of a deme became the requirement for citizenship in Athens following the reforms of Cleisthenes in 508 BC. [2]
• At the end of Cleisthenes' reforms, Athens was divided into 139 demes, with three additional demes created subsequently. [2]
• Each ancient Athenian deme functioned somewhat like a polis in miniature, featuring its own demarchos, religious festivals, revenue collection, and military functionaries. [2]
• In the Byzantine Empire, the demes originated as chariot racing factions, with the dominant two being the Blues and the Greens. [3]
• Between the 5th and 8th centuries, Byzantine demes grew powerful enough to maintain official militias and archives, make and unmake emperors, and participate in severe riots like the Nika riots. [3]

Still open

• There is scholarly debate over the exact extent to which the Byzantine demes functioned as mere sporting factions versus true political parties wielding significant political power.

Where to go next

• what caused itWho was Cleisthenes and what were his democratic reforms?
• what followedHow did the Nika riots affect the Byzantine Empire?
• how it workedHow did Athenian tribes group local demes together?
• how we knowWhat does De Ceremoniis reveal about Byzantine imperial rituals?
• compared withHow did the ancient Greek boule operate?
• an unexpected connectionHow did chariot racing factions come to command military tasks and city walls?It is unexpected that athletic supporter groups in the hippodrome would eventually be called upon by emperors to repel invasions and repair fortifications.

Sources

• [1]deme (Wikidata Q672490) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Deme · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Demes in the Byzantine Empire · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Boule (ancient Greece) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Olympia, Greece · CC BY-SA 4.0