  We present a study of flux-calibrated low-resolution optical spectroscopy of
ten stars belonging to eight systems in the ~ 5 Myr-old Epsilon Chamaeleontis
(Eps Cha) pre-main-sequence (PMS) star cluster. Using synthetic broadband
colours, narrow-band continuum, atomic and molecular lines derived from the
spectra, we compare the Eps Cha stars to a slightly older PMS cluster, the ~ 8
Myr-old Eta Cha cluster, and to main-sequence dwarfs. Using synthetic VRI
colours and other indices, we find that the relationship between broadband
colours and spectroscopic temperature indicators for Eps Cha cluster members is
indistinguishable from that of Gyr-old dwarfs. This result is identical to that
found earlier in Eta Cha. Gravity-sensitive line indices place the cluster
between the giant and dwarf sequences, and there is clear evidence that Eps Cha
stars have lower surface gravity than Eta Cha stars. This result is consistent
with Eps Cha being the slightly younger PMS association, a few Myr younger
according to the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram placement of these two
clusters and comparison with PMS evolutionary grids. Late M-type Eps Cha
cluster members show a B-band flux excess of ~ 0.2 mag compared to observations
of standard dwarfs, which might be related to enhanced magnetic activity. A
similar level of excess B-band emission appears to be a ubiquitous feature of
low mass members of young stellar populations with ages less than a few hundred
Myr, a very similar timescale to the PMS phase of elevated relative X-ray
luminosity.
