Ephebos (Greek: ἔφηβος, pl.epheboi; Greek: ἔφηβοι), latinized as ephebus (pl. ephebi) and anglicised as ephebe (pl. ephebes), is a term for a male adolescent in Ancient Greece. The term was particularly used to denote one who was doing military training and preparing to become an adult.[1] From about 335 BC, ephebes from Athens (aged between 18–20) underwent two years of military training under supervision, during which time they were exempt from civic duties and deprived of most civic rights. During the 3rd century BC, ephebic service ceased to be compulsory and its time was reduced to one year. By the 1st century BC, the ephebia became an institution reserved for wealthy individuals and, besides military training, it also included philosophic and literary studies.[2]
The Agrigento Ephebe, a severe style Greek sculpture of the 5th century BCE in the museum of Agrigento, Sicily.
Though the word ephebos (from epi "upon" + hebe "youth", "early manhood"[3]) can simply refer to the adolescent age of young men of training age, its main use is for the members, exclusively from that age group, of an official institution (ephebeia) that saw to building them into citizens, but especially to training them as soldiers, sometimes already sent into the field; the Greekcity states (poleis) mainly depended (like the Roman Republic) on its militia of citizens for defense.
In the time of Aristotle (384–322 BC), Athens engraved the names of the enrolled ephebi on a bronze pillar (formerly on wooden tablets) in front of the council-chamber. After admission to the college, the ephebus took the oath of allegiance (as recorded in histories by Pollux and Stobaeus—but not in Aristotle) in the temple of Aglaurus and was sent to Munichia or Acte as a member of the garrison. At the end of the first year of training the ephebi were reviewed; if their performance was satisfactory, the state provided each with a spear and a shield, which, together with the chlamys (cloak) and petasos (broad-brimmed hat), made up their equipment. In their second year they were transferred to other garrisons in Attica, patrolled the frontiers, and on occasion took an active part in war. During these two years they remained free from taxation, and were generally not allowed to appear in the law courts as plaintiffs or defendants. The ephebi took part in some of the most important Athenian festivals. Thus during the Eleusinian Mysteries they were sent to fetch the sacred objects from Eleusis and to escort the image of Iacchus on the sacred way. They also performed police duty at the meetings of the ecclesia.[4]
Bronze head of an ephebe wearing a winners binding. 1st century AD Roman copy.
After the end of the 4th century BC, the institution underwent a radical change. Enrolment ceased to be obligatory, lasted only for a year, and the limit of age was dispensed with. Inscriptions attest a continually decreasing number of ephebi, and with the admission of foreigners the college lost its representative national character. This was mainly due to the weakening of the military spirit and to the progress of intellectual culture. The military element was no longer all-important, and the ephebia became a sort of university for well-to-do young men of good family, whose social position has been compared[by whom?] with that of the Athenian "knights" of earlier times. The institution lasted till the end of the 3rd century AD.[4]
In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, foreigners, including Romans, began to be admitted as ephebes. At this period the college of ephebi was a miniature city, which possessed an archon, strategos, herald and other officials, after the model of the city of Athens.[4]
Sculptureedit
In Ancient Greek sculpture, an ephebe is a sculptural type depicting a nude ephebos (Archaic examples of the type are also often known as the kouros type, or kouroi in the plural). This typological name often occurs in the form "the X Ephebe", where X is the collection to which the object belongs or belonged, or the site on which it was found (e.g. the Agrigento Ephebe).
^ abcOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ephebi". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 669–670.
H. Jeanmaire, Couroi et Courètes: Essai sur l'éducation spartiate et sur les rites d'adolescence dans l'Antiquité hellénique, Bibliothèque universitaire, Lille, 1939
C. Pélékidis, Éphébie: Histoire de l'éphébie attique, des origines à 31 av. J.-C., éd. de Boccard, Paris, 1962
O. W. Reinmuth, The Ephebic Inscriptions of the Fourth Century B.C., Leiden Brill, Leyde, 1971
P. Vidal-Naquet, Le Chasseur noir et l'origine de l'éphébie athénienne, Maspéro, 1981
P. Vidal-Naquet, Le Chasseur noir. Formes de pensée et formes de société dans le monde grec, Maspéro, 1981
U. von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf, Aristoteles: Aristoteles und Athen, 2 vol., Berlin, 1916
Further readingedit
Budin, Stephanie Lynn (2013). Intimate Lives of the Ancient Greeks. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. ISBN978-0-31-338572-8.
Dodd, David; Faraone, Christopher A., eds. (2013). Initiation in Ancient Greek Rituals and Narratives: New Critical Perspectives. London: Routledge. ISBN978-1-13-514365-7.
Farenga, Vincent (2006). Citizen and Self in Ancient Greece: Individuals Performing Justice and the Law. Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-1-13-945678-4.
Sage, Michael (2002). Warfare in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. ISBN978-1-13-476331-3.
External linksedit
Media related to Ephebes at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of ephebos at Wiktionary
Ephebarchic Law of Amphipolis
January 01, 1970
ephebos, this, article, about, social, group, classical, greece, other, uses, disambiguation, ephebe, redirects, here, other, uses, ephebe, lichen, disambiguation, greek, ἔφηβος, epheboi, greek, ἔφηβοι, latinized, ephebus, ephebi, anglicised, ephebe, ephebes, . This article is about the social group in Classical Greece For other uses see Ephebos disambiguation Ephebe redirects here For other uses see Ephebe lichen and Ephebos disambiguation Ephebos Greek ἔfhbos pl epheboi Greek ἔfhboi latinized as ephebus pl ephebi and anglicised as ephebe pl ephebes is a term for a male adolescent in Ancient Greece The term was particularly used to denote one who was doing military training and preparing to become an adult 1 From about 335 BC ephebes from Athens aged between 18 20 underwent two years of military training under supervision during which time they were exempt from civic duties and deprived of most civic rights During the 3rd century BC ephebic service ceased to be compulsory and its time was reduced to one year By the 1st century BC the ephebia became an institution reserved for wealthy individuals and besides military training it also included philosophic and literary studies 2 The Agrigento Ephebe a severe style Greek sculpture of the 5th century BCE in the museum of Agrigento Sicily Contents 1 History 2 Sculpture 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksHistory edit nbsp Blond Kouros s Head of the Acropolis museum in Athens Though the word ephebos from epi upon hebe youth early manhood 3 can simply refer to the adolescent age of young men of training age its main use is for the members exclusively from that age group of an official institution ephebeia that saw to building them into citizens but especially to training them as soldiers sometimes already sent into the field the Greek city states poleis mainly depended like the Roman Republic on its militia of citizens for defense In the time of Aristotle 384 322 BC Athens engraved the names of the enrolled ephebi on a bronze pillar formerly on wooden tablets in front of the council chamber After admission to the college the ephebus took the oath of allegiance as recorded in histories by Pollux and Stobaeus but not in Aristotle in the temple of Aglaurus and was sent to Munichia or Acte as a member of the garrison At the end of the first year of training the ephebi were reviewed if their performance was satisfactory the state provided each with a spear and a shield which together with the chlamys cloak and petasos broad brimmed hat made up their equipment In their second year they were transferred to other garrisons in Attica patrolled the frontiers and on occasion took an active part in war During these two years they remained free from taxation and were generally not allowed to appear in the law courts as plaintiffs or defendants The ephebi took part in some of the most important Athenian festivals Thus during the Eleusinian Mysteries they were sent to fetch the sacred objects from Eleusis and to escort the image of Iacchus on the sacred way They also performed police duty at the meetings of the ecclesia 4 nbsp Bronze head of an ephebe wearing a winners binding 1st century AD Roman copy After the end of the 4th century BC the institution underwent a radical change Enrolment ceased to be obligatory lasted only for a year and the limit of age was dispensed with Inscriptions attest a continually decreasing number of ephebi and with the admission of foreigners the college lost its representative national character This was mainly due to the weakening of the military spirit and to the progress of intellectual culture The military element was no longer all important and the ephebia became a sort of university for well to do young men of good family whose social position has been compared by whom with that of the Athenian knights of earlier times The institution lasted till the end of the 3rd century AD 4 In the Hellenistic and Roman periods foreigners including Romans began to be admitted as ephebes At this period the college of ephebi was a miniature city which possessed an archon strategos herald and other officials after the model of the city of Athens 4 Sculpture editIn Ancient Greek sculpture an ephebe is a sculptural type depicting a nude ephebos Archaic examples of the type are also often known as the kouros type or kouroi in the plural This typological name often occurs in the form the X Ephebe where X is the collection to which the object belongs or belonged or the site on which it was found e g the Agrigento Ephebe Gallery edit nbsp Bust of an ephebe Roman copy c 420 400 BC nbsp Marble statue of an ephebe detail c 400 BC nbsp The Antikythera Ephebe c 340 330 BC nbsp The Victorious Youth c 310 BCSee also editBishōnen Ephebe a fictional nation in Terry Pratchett s Discworld Ephebic oath Ephebophilia Koryos Kouros Pauly WissowaReferences edit Ephebe English meaning Cambridge Dictionary dictionary cambridge org Ephebus Youth Education Training Britannica www britannica com Retrieved 2023 12 07 Harper Douglas ephebic Online Etymology Dictionary a b c nbsp One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Ephebi Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 9 11th ed Cambridge University Press pp 669 670 H Jeanmaire Couroi et Couretes Essai sur l education spartiate et sur les rites d adolescence dans l Antiquite hellenique Bibliotheque universitaire Lille 1939 C Pelekidis Ephebie Histoire de l ephebie attique des origines a 31 av J C ed de Boccard Paris 1962 O W Reinmuth The Ephebic Inscriptions of the Fourth Century B C Leiden Brill Leyde 1971 P Vidal Naquet Le Chasseur noir et l origine de l ephebie athenienne Maspero 1981 P Vidal Naquet Le Chasseur noir Formes de pensee et formes de societe dans le monde grec Maspero 1981 U von Wilamowitz Moellendorf Aristoteles Aristoteles und Athen 2 vol Berlin 1916Further reading editBudin Stephanie Lynn 2013 Intimate Lives of the Ancient Greeks Santa Barbara Calif ABC CLIO ISBN 978 0 31 338572 8 Dodd David Faraone Christopher A eds 2013 Initiation in Ancient Greek Rituals and Narratives New Critical Perspectives London Routledge ISBN 978 1 13 514365 7 Farenga Vincent 2006 Citizen and Self in Ancient Greece Individuals Performing Justice and the Law Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 1 13 945678 4 Sage Michael 2002 Warfare in Ancient Greece A Sourcebook London Routledge ISBN 978 1 13 476331 3 External links edit nbsp Media related to Ephebes at Wikimedia Commons nbsp The dictionary definition of ephebos at Wiktionary Ephebarchic Law of Amphipolis Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ephebos amp oldid 1191329544, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
