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Glite Dictionary
phyle

phyle

1 9.9
A group of citizens in ancient Athens that organizes public and political life
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪli/
: fílea
  • The citizens were divided into several phyla.

Examples

  • Membership in a particular phyle influenced one's social and political life in Athens.

  • After the reforms of Cleisthenes, the citizen body was organized into ten phylae.

  • Each Athenian phyle was responsible for sending representatives to the city council.

  • The phyle was significant in ancient Athens.

  • In ancient Athens, each phyle represented a division of citizens for political and social organization.

  • Citizens would gather in their respective phyle to discuss important community matters.

  • The council of Athens was made up of representatives from each phyle to ensure fair governance.

Synonyms

phratria
vsphyle
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of related families in ancient Greece with shared religious and social roles

is a larger civic grouping focused on political organization of citizens

Surface Forms

phyle singular
phyles plural

Etymology

Phyle comes from the Greek phylē, which means 'tribe' or 'clan'. In ancient Athens a phyle was a group of citizens used for political and social organization, so the origin explains the word's meaning as a tribal or civic division.