This dissertation provides a new diachronic history of the Athenian ephebeia, a state-sponsored and -directed system of military training for ephebes. Ephebes at Athens were eighteen- and nineteen-year-old newly enrolled citizens. Young men of this age-class had at times been traditionally responsible for providing military service, the most basic duty of a citizen. In the Lykourgan Period (335/4-322/1 BCE), Athenians created a system that required all able bodied ephebes to submit themselves for two years of military training at Peiraieus and military service in the border fortresses. They established this institution in the wake of the Macedonian conquest of Greece, especially Alexander's destruction of Thebes in 335 BCE. In addition to preparing new Athenian citizens in the military arts, the ephebes of this period participated in Athenian state religion by making a tour of sanctuaries, processing at the Panathenaia and running torch-races at certain festivals. Thus, the institution was situated into the overall goals of the Lykourgan program, namely the revitalization of Athenian military strength, religiosity and patriotism, which had been greatly diminished as a result of their defeat at the hands of Philip II at Chaironeia in 338 BCE. This study also traces the development of the ephebeia from a two-year compulsory institution for all citizens in the Lykourgan Age to a one-year, voluntary system of training for Athens' "civic elites," a transition which occurred sometime after 303 BCE but no later than 267 BCE. This dissertation demonstrates that while its numbers shrank and its members were most likely drawn from the wealthier classes at Athens, its system of training remained military in nature. The Athenians also added certain new responsibilities for its members. Chief among these was the greatly expanded role in Athenian state religion. While ephebes in the Lykourgan Age had participated in a few festivals, the degree was limited due to the fact that removing ephebes en masse from Peiraieus or the border forts was impractical. For the ephebes of the Hellenistic Period, participation in festivals was central. The number of festivals in which they played some role multiplied and eusebeia was added to the list of civic virtues for which the ephebes were praised. This occurred in the Age of Eurykleides and Mikion sometime after the liberation of Athens from Macedonian power soon after 229 BCE. This form of the ephebeia, in which military training remained paramount, continued to 88 BCE. By the last quarter of the second century BCE new features made their first appearance. First, the number of ephebes participating in the institution tripled. The rise in enrollment was most likely connected with the increased prosperity that the Athenians enjoyed as a result of their reacquisition of Delos from the Romans at the end of the Third Macedonian War. Another new feature was the inclusion of foreign youth in the ephebeia. While religious service also remained central to the ephebeia the number of festivals in which the ephebes participated continued to grow. The Athenians also added new responsibilities to the traditional service of its members. Ephebes were now charged with meeting and escorting important foreign travelers visiting Athens, in particular the Romans. In certain years some classes of ephebes were also expected to take philosophical instruction from Athens' resident philosophers, although this was a late development and most likely did not involve lessons in philosophy but the study of literature. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Classics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2011. / September 9, 2011. / Athens, athletic training, ephebe, ephebeia, Greek religion, military training / Includes bibliographical references. / James P. Sickinger, Professor Directing Dissertation; Nicole Kelley, University Representative; John Marincola, Committee Member; Christopher Pfaff, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_253244 |
| Contributors | Henderson, Thomas R. (authoraut), Sickinger, James P. (professor directing dissertation), Kelley, Nicole (university representative), Marincola, John (committee member), Pfaff, Christopher (committee member), Department of Classics (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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