The Tribal system

• One key aim of cleisthenes reforms was to break the various power bases of the established aristocratic families.

  
  

  two ways in which he did this:

  • break up any regionally based factions
  • Create a new tribal system where the four old tribes were disbanded and ten new ones were created in their place
• Cleisthenes ensured that each tribe contained a wide cross section of athenian citizens from different demes
• The deme system tied into the Tribal system since each trittyes contained a number of demes
• He gave tribes religious legitimacy by involving the oracle of Delphi (oracle of Apollo) with his reform
• Cleisthenes kept the old tribes in place for religious ceremonies despite them having no political relevance
• The tribal system was fundamental to the democratic system because each tribe provided equal quotas of men for bodies such as the council of 500, the Army, boards of officials and the law courts