1. Plural of ephebe; young men in ancient Greece undergoing military training and civic education, typically between ages 18 and 20.
Usage: historical; chiefly used in classical studies and ancient history contexts

Examples

• The ephebes of Athens were required to serve in the military for two years.
• Ancient Greek ephebes underwent rigorous physical and intellectual training.
• Historians study the lives of ephebes to understand Athenian education and society.
• The ephebes participated in religious ceremonies and public festivals.
• Plato wrote about the education and moral development of ephebes in his works.