Trittys

Trittys (Greek τριττύς, plural τριττύες trittyes, German also singular: Trittye and plural: trittyes ), translated actually " third ", referred to as the division of a tribe an ancient administrative unit in the Ionian settlement area. The trittyes served the political and especially the military structure. In particular, its role in ancient Athens there is an extensive literary and epigraphic tradition.

Thus, in the early days gentilizisch parent Athens the original four tribes were divided into twelve trittyes, each Trittye in turn was formed from four Naukraries. According to legend, the trittyes went to the Athenian League back from twelve cities, is said to have existed in the time before Theseus. Each of these cities had originally its own town halls and public officials, to the processing performed by Theseus synoecism to have made the need for superfluous. The traditional names of these first eleven at Philochorus Attic trittyes were: Kekropia, Tetrapolis, Epakria, Dekeleia, Eleusis, Aphidna, Thorikos, Brauron Kytheros, Sphettos and Kephisia. Since most of the names after Cleisthenes reform continue to emerge and Cleisthenes was known to hold in such matters to the traditional, the name of this catalog shall be deemed credible.

With the 508/507 BCE by Cleisthenes carried out reform of the political structure and the political system in Athens the number of trittyes was increased to thirty. There were now ten city - trittyes ( asty trittyes ), inland trittyes ( Mesogeia - trittyes ), coastal trittyes ( Paralia - trittyes ). Each of these settlement areas was thus divided into ten administrative regions and depending on the population of one or more demes a Trittye have been assigned. Chosen by lot was now the membership each one of these trittyes one of the ten tribes Cleisthenes, so getting a city, a country and a Küstentrittye formed a tribe, and it was the goal by the given geographical separation of trittyes in a phyle a political mix of the population to achieve. Since, however, decided the fate, it seemed that adjacent trittyes were united in a tribe. This was unacceptable, so a real mixture and the desired balance between the different interests of the " landscapes " was not necessarily achieved or enforced. The names of the trittyes and their assignment to the phyla is secured by epigraphic traditions in part.

The trittyes as a unit were primarily involved in the equipment and manning of the Athenian ships, which was already considered for the vorkleisthenischen trittyes with its division into Naukraries. A Trittye was responsible for ten ships and the wharf area of Piraeus was divided into individual squares, which served the congregation of Crews of Trittye. In addition, the trittyes also had fiscal tasks by they could make money orders, for example. Were led by the trittyes selected Trittyarchen. The office was quite popular and was regarded as a substitute and alternative to the office of strategists.

Also on Delos there was trittyes, twelve in number, of which only two are but known by name: the Thyestathai and Okynidai.