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.
2. metaph., cheer, merriment, Pi.P.4.295; “δαιτὸς ἥβη” E.Cyc. 504 (lyr.); also, youthful fire, spirit, Pi.P.6.48.
III. pr.n., Ἥβη Hebe, Il.4.2, Od.11.603, Hes. Th.950; later allegorized as goddess of youth. (Cf. Lith. jėgà 'power'.)