 Both boys and girls were brought up by the city women until the age of seven, when boys ("paidia") were taken from their mothers and grouped together in "packs" ("agelai") and were sent to what is almost equivalent to present-day military boot camp.This military camp was known as the Agoge.They became inured to hardship, being provided with scant food and clothing; this also encouraged them to steal, and if they were caught, they were punished – not for stealing, but for being caught.