- Mothake
In ancient
Sparta , mothakes (or mothaces) were free-born youths of poor or disfranchised Spartiate families. Though free, they were not Spartan citizens but were brought up alongside Spartan boys as their foster brothers. Due to the expenses of providing extra mess contributions, their rearing was usually sponsored by wealthy families. Some mothakes such asGylippus andLysander rose to prominence; the former's father exiled for treason and the latter raised in poverty.There is some debate concerning the precise status of a mothake. Some feel the term refers rather to
helot boys (usually the sons of Spartiate fathers and helot mothers). But it is agreed upon that they shared in the education and training of Spartan boys.References
*Hodkinson, Stephen. "Property and Wealth in Classical Sparta" (The Classical Press of Wales, 2000) ISBN 0-7156-3040-7
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.