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Abstract:
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This dissertation examines the origin , purpose , and function of the Athenian ephebeia during the Lycurgan period (334 /3 -322 /1 B .C . ) . The ephebeia , a compulsory two -year long state -funded and organized program of military service for eighteen and nineteen year old citizens called ephebes , did not exist as a formal institution prior to 334 /3 B .C . , the date of the earliest known ephebic inscriptions . Instead , the demos probably created the ephebeia after Alexander’s destruction of Thebes in September 335 B .C . because they needed a standing army to defend Attica against Boeotian raiders . The ephebeia , then , was not a Lycurgan reform of a long -standing institution but founded de novo for a specific military purpose . This explains many hitherto misunderstood aspects of the ephebeia’s organization , officials , and military activities . Having entrusted the defense of Athens to the youngest and most immature citizens with no combat experience , the demos turned them into a capable fighting force by subjecting them to unusually strict discipline and by establishing a program of military training under specialized instructors . The demos also encouraged reluctant ephebes to serve by appealing to their love of honor (philotimia ) and rewarded them with many honors at the end of their garrison duty . In addition to its military activities , the ephebeia played an important role in the civic and moral paideia of the ephebes because they were unable to gain the educational benefits from Athens’ democratic institutions . The ephebeia , by instilling moderation , piety , and patriotic fervor in the ephebes , sought to make them virtuous citizens both dedicated to preserving the democracy and deeply motivated to freeing Athens from Macedonian domination . This devotion to the state explains why the institution was abolished by the pro -Macedonian oligarchy (321 /0 -319 /8 B .C . ) established after Athens’ defeat in the Lamian War in 322 B .C . |