EPHE'BUS (Lat.. from Gk. gcb73os, from dot, (pi, upon + .4077, /1("V, youth). Among the an cient Greeks, a youth who has just attained man hood, which was commonly reckoned to commence at the sixteenth year. In Athenian constitutional law, it denoted one who had attained his major ity, but was not yet a full citizen, i.e. one who had begun his eighteenth, but not attained his twentieth year. These ephebi entered upon their manhood by taking an oath of allegiance and de votion to the fatherland in the Temple of Aglau ros, and for the next two years were trained in military exercises and employed in garrison duty. When this custom was introduced is not certain, hut in a rudimentary form it is likely to have existed from the time of the Persian wars. In tile latter part of the fourth century n.c., probably soon after the battle of Chmronea (B.0 338), the institution was put on a firmer basis, which is described by Aristotle in his work on the Constitution of Athens. At the head was a cosinWs Koannr7,(:), elected by the Assembly, while the (Timid of each tribe were under the di rect supervision of a who was elected by the people from three men over forty years of age, nominated by the fathers of the boys. The first year was given to instruction in gymnastics. the drill, and weapons of heavy and light-armed infantry, and the management of the artillery engines. At the end of the year they
received a shield, spear, and military cloak from the State, and were assigned to garrison duty in Atfiea, and police duty at the Assembly. A fter the fourth century the institution underwent many changes, whieh arc reflected in the numer ous inscriptions in praise of the ephebi and their oftic( rs, which may be found in the Corpus In ,veriptionn in I t iiearn m, cols. ii. and iii. More and the military side of the training sank into the background. anti the compulsory character disapp•af1.11. .o that it finally became a Slate sys tem of education 1110 sons of the wealthy. The •pla•hi had their 11\511 with h 'MOIR and apparently libraries :(ttaelied. and there was also a p(.eial tl e Diogoneimi, for hogs over sixteen, who were preparing to enter on the ephebic course. Full details of this interesting institution, which was imitated in other Greek States, can be found in Dumont, L'Ephebie at t ique (Paris• 1875) ; Girard, in Daremberg and Sagilo, Dietionnaire dcs antiquiti's (Paris, 1892) ; Dittenberger, Dr Ephcbis Atticis (Got tingen, 1863) ; Grasberger, Erziehung and Unter richt im. klassischen Altertum, vol. iii. (Wiirz burg, 1881).