ib1690–1700; < Latin ephēbus < Greek éphēbos, equivalent to ep- ep- + -hēbos, derivative of hḗbē manhood
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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ephebe (ɪˈfiːb, ˈɛfiːb) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| (in ancient Greece) a youth about to enter full citizenship, esp one undergoing military training | |
| [C19: from Latin ephēbus, from Greek ephēbos, from hēbē young manhood] | |
| e'phebic | |
| —adj | |
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| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
ephebe
in ancient Greece, any male who had attained the age of puberty. In Athens it acquired a technical sense, referring to young men aged 18-20. From about 335 BC they underwent two years of military training under the supervision of an elected kosmetes and 10 sophronistai ("chasteners"). At the end of the first year each ephebus received a sword and shield from the state; probably at this stage he took the ephebic oath. During their service, ephebi were exempt from civic duties and deprived of most civic rights. During the 3rd century BC, ephebic service ceased to be compulsory and the duration was reduced to one year. The ephebia became an institution for the wealthy classes only. By the 1st century BC foreigners were admitted, and the curriculum was expanded to include philosophic and literary studies, although the military character of the ephebia was not wholly lost. The system began to decay late in the 3rd century AD. In other Hellenistic cities the term ephebi was applied to youths aged 15-17.
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