Phyle, Ancient deme in Oineis, Greece

Phyle is an ancient deme and fortress of Attica, set on a steep rock on Mount Parnes above the pass of the direct road from Thebes to Athens. Its walls, visible today, date from the 4th century BC, and the summit looks over the Attic plain, Mount Hymettus and the Saronic Gulf.

Phyle was established in the late 6th century BC as part of Cleisthenes' administrative reforms that reorganized Attica into new tribal divisions and demes. The settlement maintained its role as a local administrative center throughout the Classical and Hellenistic periods.

Citizens of the deme were called Phylasians. The deme held the cave of Pan, beside which Menander set the plot of his comedy Dyskolos, and a sanctuary of Artemis Agrotera. A building called the Daphnephoreion housed a painting depicting the Thargelia festival.

The site can be easily explored on foot, with marked paths connecting different archaeological areas. The best time to visit is during cooler months when visibility and walking conditions are optimal.

Phyle stood on a steep rock above the pass over Mount Parnes, more than 120 stadia from Athens according to Demosthenes, though Diodorus gives 100. Within the deme was a building called the Daphnephoreion, holding a painting depicting the Thargelia festival. The fortress remains visible today date from the 4th century BC.