ἥβη

ἥβ-η, [dialect] Dor. [full] ἥβα, [dialect] Aeol. [full] ἄβα Alc.101, ἡ: (v. sub fin.):—

A youthful prime, youth,

νεηνίῃ ἀνδρὶ ἐοικώς, πρῶτον ὑπηνήτῃ, τοῦ περ χαριέστατος ἥβη Od.10.279

, cf. Il.24.348;

καὶ δ' ἔχει ἥβης ἄνθος ὅ τε κράτος ἐστὶ μέγιστον 13.484

, cf. Hes.Th.988;

ἐρικυδής Il.11.225

, Hes.l.c.;

πολυήρατος Od.15.366

, etc.; ἥβης μέτρον ἱκέσθαι or ἱκάνειν, = ἡβάσκειν, 11.317, 18.217, etc.;

ἥβην πολυήρατον ἱκόμεθ' 15.366

, cf. Il.24.728; ἥβης ἀπόνασθαι, ταρπῆναι, 17.25, Od.23.212;

ἐφ' ἥβης Ar.Eq.524

; θρέψασθαί τινα πρὸς ἥβην until manhood, Pl.Mx.238b;

μέχρι ἥβης Th.2.46

.

b strength and vigour of youth, [

δίσκον] ἀφῆκεν . . πειρώμενος ἥβης Il.23.432

;

ἥβῃ τε πεποίθεα χερσί τ' ἐμῇσι Od.8.181

, cf. 16.174;

ἥβης ἀκμή S.OT 741

: in pl.,

καρποτρόφοι νεάνιδες ἧβαι E.Ion 477

(lyr.).

c as a legal term, ἥβη was the time before manhood, at Athens sixteen years of age, AB255.15; fourteen acc. to EM359.17, Harp. s.v. ἐπιδιετές; at Sparta eighteen, τὰ δέκα ἀφ' ἥβης (sc. ἔτη), i.e. men of twentyeight, X.HG2.4.32, 3.4.23; τὰ τετταράκοντα ἀφ' ἥ. ib.6.4.17; of women,

ἐπεὶ δ' ἐς ἥβην ἦλθεν ὡραίαν γάμων E.Hel.12

.

d of oxen,

ἥβης μέτρον ἔχοντε Hes. Op.438

; of the fresh skin of a snake, Nic.Th. 138.

2 metaph., cheer, merriment, Pi.P.4.295;

δαιτὸς ἥβη E.Cyc. 504

(lyr.); also, youthful fire, spirit, Pi.P.6.48.

3 body of youth, A. Pers.512, 733, Ag.109 (lyr.), etc.

4 the pubes, Hp.Epid.3.4, Ar. Nu.976, Theopomp.Com.37, Arist.HA493b3,al.

II a kind of vine, Hsch.; [dialect] Dor.ἇβαι (pl.) v.l. in Theoc.5.109.

III pr.n., Ἥβη Hebe, Il.4.2, Od.11.603, Hes. Th.950; later allegorized as goddess of youth. (Cf. Lith. jėgà 'power'.)