Brauron in the context of Steiria (Attica)

The Philaidae or Philaids (Ancient Greek: Φιλαΐδαι) were a powerful noble family of ancient Athens. They were conservative land-owning aristocrats and many of them were very wealthy. The Philaidae produced two of the most famous generals in Athenian history: Miltiades the Younger and Cimon.

The Philaids claimed descent from the mythological Philaeus, son of Ajax. The family originally came from Brauron in Attica. Later a prominent branch of the clan were based at Lakiadae west of Athens. In the late 7th century BC a Philaid called Agamestor married the daughter of Cypselus, the powerful tyrant of Corinth. In 597 BC a man named Cypselus was archon of Athens. This Cypselus was probably grandson of the Corinthian tyrant of the same name and son of Agamestor.

Araphen (Ancient Greek: Ἀραφήν, romanized: Araphén) was the name of a deme of ancient Athens, situated on the eastern coast to the north of Brauron and Halae Araphenides, on the west of the current village of Rafina, located near the mouth of the river of the same name.

The area was already inhabited in the Archaic Period and was flourishing due to the port which gave access to the Cyclades islands. Two settlements of that period were found on a hill two kilometers south of the port; now there remain a few archaeological finds, which were buried by modern constructions.

Halae Araphenides or Halai Araphenides (Ancient Greek: Ἁλαὶ Ἀραφηνίδες, romanized: Halái Araphenídes) was a deme of ancient Attica, situated on its eastern coast between Brauron and Araphen, and was the harbour of Brauron, whence persons crossed over to Marmarium in Euboea.

Philaidae or Philaidai (Ancient Greek: Φιλαΐδαι) was a deme of ancient Attica, which appears to have been near Brauron, since it is said to have derived its name from Philaeus, the son of the Telamonian Ajax, who dwelt in Brauron. Philaïdae was the deme of Peisistratus.

Its site is located about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) west of the basilica at Brauron.

Cephale or Kephale (Ancient Greek: Κεφαλή) was a deme of ancient Attica of the phyle Acamantis, that appears, from the order in which it occurs in the list of Pausanias, to have been situated south or east of Hymettus, perhaps in the neighbourhood of Brauron, where Ludwig Ross found an inscription containing the name of this deme. Cephale possessed a temple of the Dioscuri, who were here called the Great Gods.

The site of Cephale is located east of modern Keratea.