Dragon Master - (Neal & Neaniskos)

Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToBvK6xED60]

• tldr: neaniskos is a pre-pubescant or just-pubescant male. It doesn't imply an age, but a biological maturity. Puberty is that phase when reproductive organs begin working. As we all know, that's pretty young, between 3rd and 6th grade today. It's much younger than a neanias.

What follows is an in depth analysis of neaniskos

Philo of Alexandria - 7 stages of life

• As reminder a neaniskos (little youth) goes from pubertal (9-12 yrs old) up to late teen when they stop being little youth and simply are neanias (youth), of course, much overlap in neaniskos and neanias, since they’re defined in biological function, NOT IN YEARS.
• As reminder a man (ἀνὴρ) in ancient times was quite early.  Military service was (source??) when puberty is showing (for us that’s around 12-15?) and adulthood coincides with military service.  For girls, gyne womanhood (motherhood + wife responsibilities) can be quite young right after puberty (9-14).   So “man” quite generously could be between 14-18yrs old!...

So, Instead of τετράκις ἑπτά strictly meaning "4 × 7 years" (28 years old), it should instead be understood as "the fourth stage out of seven" (neaniskos is 4/7ths of the way through life, after:  baby, toddler, educational ages).

1. τετράκις (tetrákis) means "four times" or "fourfold," but in some contexts (as philo set up with ἑπτὰ ὡραι - seven stages), it can also indicate the fourth instance of something rather than strict multiplication.  So in this case τετράκις = the fourth instance of
2. ἑπτά (heptá) means "seven," but under this context (Philo’s ἑπτὰ ὡραι - seven stages) it references a seventh-based division of life rather than a strict numeric calculation.

Supporting Context

• The passage explicitly divides life into seven stages (ἑπτὰ ὡραι), which suggests a structured framework of development. Rather than 7 year increments, they’re stages that are 1/7th of a person’s life…  Still an overgeneralization avoiding the biological definitions, but this 1/7th division is much more general in spirit when not taken literally…   Rather than literal equal 7-year timespans, they’re 7 stages of life, a subtle but very large difference.
• ἐτῶν == years???     No…  not single year increments, but “general time span of years”
  • In most cases, ἐτῶν refers to years in a straightforward sense. However, in philosophical and developmental contexts, Ancient Greek often used "years" metaphorically to represent broader life stages.
  • So, while ἐτῶν typically means "years," in a structured sevenfold division of life, it could be read as “life divisions” or "age periods" rather than a strict numerical count.
  • In the context of the seven stages (ἑπτὰ ὡραι), it definitely means “general span of years”, rather than specific quantity of years. 

ARISTOPHANES, Fragmenta. {0644.003}

On the naming of stages of life.
The old man (Γέρων), the elder (πρεσβύτης), and the advanced (προβεβηκώς) differ. Alexion explains in the summary of the Twins' Mixed Works, saying as follows: From Aristophanes' work on human generation and growth to old age: For a newborn (Βρέφος) is one who is born immediately; a small child (παιδίον) is one who is being nourished by a nurse; a toddler (παιδάριον) is one who already walks and begins to speak; a boy (παιδίσκος) is one in the present stage of life; a child (παῖς) is one able to go through the general studies. The following stages are referred to by some as πάλλαξ (youth before adulthood), βούπαις (herdsman), ἀντίπαις (slightly older than a child), and μελλέφηβος (near puberty). After this, one becomes an ἔφηβος (youth). Youth has a long span:  In Cyrene, they bathe the youths who are thirty years old; in Crete, they are not yet participating in the common paths of life. After this (becoming an ἔφηβος (youth)), one becomes a μειράκιον or μείραξ, then a νεανίσκος, then a νεανίας, then a man of middle age (ἀνὴρ μέσος), then one who has advanced in years (προβεβηκώς), whom they call an old man (ὠμογέροντα), then a γέρων (elder), then a πρεσβύτης (presbyter), and finally, an extremely old man (ἐσχατόγηρως)."

Remember that given the lower life expectancy and higher mortality in ancient times, a person in their 30s could already be considered to be approaching the later stages of life.  considered to be in their prime until their early 40s.   reaching 40 or 50 years old would have been seen as a mark of wisdom and experience.   Therefore middle age could be 20-30yrs old….  Putting neanias earlier and neaniskos earlier still.   These all have overlapping age ranges though!!

To examine the cult… focus on what the youth can produce chemically.

Women are evaluated differently, in Ancient Greek literature (maturing younger, to take responsibilities of marriage at a young age) and with different words used to describe their phases.

Hesychius Lexicon for meirax

Mark 14:51-52 (From Nestle1904)

ἡλικιῶν - Stages of Life in Ancient Greek Terminology:

Early Development

1. Βρέφος (Bréphos) – Infant, newborn. This refers to a baby at the stage of birth and immediately after.
2. Παιδίον (Paidíon) – A small child, toddler. This is the stage where the child is being nourished and cared for, often given to a nurse for upbringing.
3. Παιδάριον (Paidárion) – A young child who has begun walking and is acquiring speech.
4. Παιδίσκος / Παιδίσκη (Paidískos/Paidiske) – A diminutive form, often referring to young boys or girls. It can be a general term for prepubescent youth.  the general term for all of those stages before
5. Παῖς (Paîs) – A child, encompassing the stages of learning and discipleship. This is the stage where the child is going through encyclic ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία (enkýklios paideía), recurrent cycles, ****the foundational education that precedes specialized / professional studies.

Approaching Adolescence & Puberty:

1. Πάλλας (Pállas) / Πάλληξ (Pállēx) – A youth below the age of ἐφηβος (éphēbos). An early adolescent or prepubescent stage.  (Pallas Athena),  generally this is youth before adulthood.
2. πάλλαξ / πάλλακα (pállax / pállaka).  youths, adolescents, often just before full adulthood. It aligns with the idea of a young person in early adolescence
3. Βούπαις/βούπαιδα (Boúpais) – A youth who herds cattle (hence, "cowboy"). The meaning suggests a stage in life where one is still youthful but has responsibilities.
4. Ἀντιπαῖς (Antipaîs) – "Instead of a boy" or "no longer quite a child." This likely represents a transition phase from childhood to youth, where one is still young but no longer merely a child.
5. Μελλέφηβος (Melléphēbos) – Literally "about to be an ἐφήβος." This term describes someone on the cusp of puberty.  Near puberty.  (ἐφηβος is hebe, she is youth) about to be in puberty.
6. μεῖραξ (Meírax) / μειράκιον (Meirákion) – A youth in the midst of puberty.  παίς
7. Κόρη (Kórē) – A young girl or maiden, often used in classical texts to describe an unmarried young woman. This term is famous in mythological contexts (e.g., Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, was referred to as Κόρη before her abduction).  generally associated with the period before full maturity, specifically pre-pubescent or early pubescent, or who is in the early stages of puberty.  also carries associations of virginity and innocence.   she would not yet be considered fully mature (either physically or socially). This means Κόρη is closer to pre-pubescence, with some overlap into early puberty, but not yet fully developed as an adult woman. 
8. Παιδίσκη (Paidiskē) - female equivalent to neaniskos or neanias.  Refers to a young woman or girl in the adolescent stage of life. a girl transitioning from childhood to adolescence, and could be used for females who are in their mid-to-late adolescence implying approaching marriageability or entering the sphere of womanhood (transitioning into adulthood)
   1. At puberty: τιτθεον - to evoke the image of small, youthful, “grape-like” breasts (τιτθεον) —that is, the early, budding (λαχνώσεως) stage of female breast development. τιτθεον is understood as a diminutive of τίτθος (“breast”), implying small, immature breasts typical of early puberty
   2. Later Adolescence: The stage is characterized by the continued growth and maturation of the breasts, at the later stage the breasts become more fully developed, signaling further progression toward womanhood.
   3. While Κόρη focuses on virginity and youth, Παιδίσκη is a bit more neutral, often referring to girls who are mature enough to be considered for marriage or other social roles.
9. Γυνή (Gynē) – A woman, specifically a married woman.  used for a woman of any age after marriage, regardless of whether she is in her teens or older.  Once a girl enters marriage, even in her teens, she would be referred to as a Γυνή, as the term emphasizes her role as a wife and adult woman in society.  Range from neanias to older….
10. Νεανίσκος (Neanískos) – A male youth just entering puberty, who is going through that initial change, beginning to mature physically and mentally. budding (λαχνώσεως) gonads (γονῆς) starting to generate seed (γενείου)
    1. the appearance of developed male organs is taken as a sign that the youth has entered his pubescent phase.
    2. Includes a range just entering puberty up to late teens, and, with some overlap with neanias youth
11. νεανίας (Neanías) – a male youth in the later stages of adolescence, well beyond the initial stages of puberty, who has progressed further in physical and mental maturation beyond the initial signs of puberty noted in νεανίσκος.
    1. This stage is marked by further development of the male organs, with more pronounced secondary sexual characteristics.
    2. In classical literature, νεανίας is used to denote a youth who is well into the process of physical and mental maturation—often overlapping with the later teenage years—thus representing a continuum with νεανίσκος, but indicating a more advanced stage of development.
    3. Range: Although νεανίσκος begins with the initial onset of pubescence, νεανίας encompasses the period when these early changes consolidate, approaching the threshold of mature manhood or womanhood.  Could cover early teens (post puberty) to early 20s (before maturing, and before middle age for antiquity)

Late Adolescence & Young Adulthood:

1. Ἔφηβος (Éphēbos) – youth.  Ἥβη (Hḗbē), the goddess of youth, represents this stage of vigor and beauty.  ἐφηβος is Ἥβη, who is Ἥβη? she is youth.   Ἥβη - She is the constant beloved of Heracles.   one who has reached puberty, a youth of military age (they took them at puberty!). one upon the threshold of manhood
   1. Associated Goddess:
      1. Ἥβη (Hḗbē), the goddess of youth, was associated with this stage of life. She was the cupbearer of the gods and the wife of Heracles, symbolizing eternal youth and vigor.
2. Ἀπότρομος (Apótromos) – A term possibly linked to those reaching a stage of self-sufficiency and independence.
3. τριακαδίους (Triakadiós) – Likely referring to someone in their late twenties or around the age of thirty.(a milestone in adulthood)
4. Ἀνὴρ - a man (puberty showing (12-15) is military age for boys becoming men).  Related:  female fertility is wife / womanhood age for girls;  Both are still “youth”. Biological function here...
5. ἀνὴρ μέσος (anḕr mésos): A man of middle age.
6. προβεβηκώς (probebēkṓs): One who has advanced in years, an elderly man.
7. ὠμογέροντα (ōmogéronta): An old man, literally “one who is aged in the bones.”
8. γέρων (gérōn): Old man.
9. πρεσβύτης (presbýtēs): Elder or senior man, someone in the later stages of old age.
10. ἐσχατόγηρως (eschatógēros): The extremely old man, nearing the final stages of life.
11. Γέρων (Gérōn) – Old man
12. Πρεσβύτης (Presbýtēs) – Elder
13. Προβεβηκώς (Probebēkṓs) – Advanced in years

Select Terms directly from the Lexicons: Hesychius vs LSJ

• γονής
  • Hesychius "Narcissus, the plant."
    • The narcissus plant represents the first signs of male maturity, just as the plant blooms after a period of dormancy, similar to how puberty signals the beginning of a young man's reproductive capability.  emergence of sexual maturity—specifically, the development of male genitalia and the ability to generate seed
  • LSJ “generation;  that which engenders, seed;  organs of generation, generally”.
    • directly linked to male sexual maturity, marking the stage where a young man becomes capable of producing reproductive seed (semen).  can mean both "begetting" and "seed", it signifies the biological function that emerges during puberty, when a νεανίσκος (little youth) develops the ability to father offspring
• νεανίσκος
  • Hesychius defines νεανίσκος as “νήπιος”
    • νήπιον:
      • Hesychius defines as:  νεογνόν (newborn), νεώτερον (younger), [μικρόν (small) (Illiad Ε 480) gn. ἀνόητον (without understanding, foolish), ἄφρον (senseless, lacking wisdom), ἢ *[ἀφρονέστατον (or most foolish) gn
      • LSJ defines as:  infant, child, from a child, from infancy, of children up to puberty; of the understanding, childish, silly; of bodily strength, like that of a child
  • LSJ defines νεανίσκος as “youth, young man”
    • Sometimes it’s equivalent to neanias, sometimes it’s equivalent to μειράκιον
      • μειράκιον
• μεῖραξ
  • Hesychius defines μεῖραξ as “παίς”
  • LSJ: young girl, lass; sometimes lad, stripling;  fem men
• μειράκιον: 
  • LSJ: boy, lad, Dim. of μεῖραξ
• παίς
  • Hesychius:  “πᾶς ὁ φύσει υἱὸς ὤν τινος. καὶ ὁ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ νέος. καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ <παρθένος>. τάσσεται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ δούλου. ἄρτι ἀκμάζων”
    • πᾶς ὁ φύσει υἱὸς ὤν τινος – "Anyone who is by nature the son of someone."
    • καὶ ὁ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ νέος – "And one who is young in age."
    • καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ <παρθένος> – "And instead of (in place of) parthenos (virgin, unmarried youth)."
    • τάσσεται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ δούλου – "It is also applied to a slave."
    • ἄρτι ἀκμάζων – "Just now reaching maturity."
  • LSJ:  in relation to Age, child, boy or girl