Mothax
Encyclopedia
Mothax is a Doric Greek
word meaning "stepbrother".
The term was used for a sociopolitical class in ancient Sparta
, particularly during the Peloponnesian War
(431-404 BC). The mothakes were primarily either offspring of Sparta
n fathers and helot
mothers or children of impoverished Spartans. Mothakes were not able to contribute to common meals in the corps and thus were not allowed to maintain an "equal" status. They were, however, permitted to fight as troops along with perioeci.
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 as Gylippus and Lysander
rose to prominence; the former's father exiled for treason and the latter raised in poverty.
Doric Greek
Doric or Dorian was a dialect of ancient Greek. Its variants were spoken in the southern and eastern Peloponnese, Crete, Rhodes, some islands in the southern Aegean Sea, some cities on the coasts of Asia Minor, Southern Italy, Sicily, Epirus and Macedon. Together with Northwest Greek, it forms the...
word meaning "stepbrother".
The term was used for a sociopolitical class in ancient Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
, particularly during the Peloponnesian War
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
(431-404 BC). The mothakes were primarily either offspring of Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n fathers and helot
Helots
The helots: / Heílôtes) were an unfree population group that formed the main population of Laconia and the whole of Messenia . Their exact status was already disputed in antiquity: according to Critias, they were "especially slaves" whereas to Pollux, they occupied a status "between free men and...
mothers or children of impoverished Spartans. Mothakes were not able to contribute to common meals in the corps and thus were not allowed to maintain an "equal" status. They were, however, permitted to fight as troops along with perioeci.
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 as Gylippus and Lysander
Lysander
Lysander was a Spartan general who commanded the Spartan fleet in the Hellespont which defeated the Athenians at Aegospotami in 405 BC...
rose to prominence; the former's father exiled for treason and the latter raised in poverty.