ἥβα

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, AB 255.15; fourteen acc. to EM 359.17, Harp. s.v. ἐπιδιετές; at Sparta eighteen, τὰ δέκα ἀφ’ ἥβης (sc. ἔτη), i.e. men of twentyeight, X. HG 2.4.32, 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. HA 493b3,al.

II. a kind of vine, Hsch.; 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'.)