Eiren

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An ancient Greek term for a young man serving as a junior official in the Spartan educational system ; a historical title given to certain adolescents in Spartan society
2. A designation in classical Sparta for youths holding an intermediary rank between boys and full adults ; a position of authority and mentorship among Spartan adolescents
3. The name for an adolescent male in Sparta responsible for supervising younger boys ; a rank signifying partial maturity and leadership in the agoge, Sparta’s military training institution

Etymology: In the Spartan agoge, the state training system for boys, the eirenes were the young men around twenty who had finished the boys' stage and were now set over the boys' age-groups. Xenophon and Plutarch both describe them as commanders with real power: they led the boys, supervised their drill and conduct, and could punish them with the whip. Their authority was often shown as a stage on the way to full citizenship, with the eiren answering for the discipline of those below. The Greek word's origin is uncertain. Ancient and modern scholars have proposed links to verbs meaning "to say" or "to join," but none is secure. The resemblance to "eirene," the common Greek word for peace, is only a spelling coincidence as far as current evidence goes. What is clear is that the term belongs to a specific Spartan institution and does not appear to have been used for young men in other Greek states.

Synonyms: peace, calm, tranquility

Antonyms: war, conflict, chaos