I had a friend in college who would go off campus four hours at a time every odd weekend or so, and he would return laden with Banana Republic, Prada and Luis Vuitton shopping bags. I figured he had just cashed in on his parents’ monthly check for groceries, supplies and other necessities. He did come from a well-off family who were paying both his and his two brothers’ college tuitions. Later, he showed me a deposit slip for $400 into his personal account. I found out the check was from a Bob: middle-aged man, married with two children. And, that was my awakening to the realm of sugar daddies (and sugar mommies).

While the idea may seem newfangled, sexual age differences among couples has existed since the dawn of civilization. The modern definition of a sugar daddy is “ a wealthy, usually older man who gives expensive gifts to a young person in return for sexual favors or companionship.” The same applies to a sugar mommy, except it’s an older woman. It’s not to be confused with intergenerational dating, with the likes of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher leading the charges, which requires at least a 15-year age gap as well as a certain amount of affinity for one another to get married—way beyond sexual favors and mere companionship.

Though the term “sugar daddy” or “sugar mommy” wasn’t coined until the 20 th century, sexual age disparities has existed since the time of ancient Greece. Does Apollo falling in love with Daphne ring a bell? How about Aphrodite and Adonis? Less ethereal are the ancient Greek men who commonly married around the age of 30 and took on wives who were in their teens. The modern terms sugar daddy/mommy are renditions of the social act of usually privileged men taking on younger lovers from either sex. Though it was less socially acceptable, women of power—mostly widows—took on young lovers as well. Dangerous Liaisons, anyone?

It’s interesting to note that sexual age disparate relations were more common between two males throughout history than thought possible. In Melanesia, pre-modern Japan and ancient Greece, same-sex male relationships were a common practice. These relationships, also known as pederastic relationships, were sexual and erotic bonds between an adult man and an adolescent boy. A pederast may be likened to pedophiles, who both share the same sexual proclivity. For the ancient Greeks, it was a common, almost standard way to practice bisexuality.

Darwinians and similar evolutionary biologists would have us believe it’s natural for men to chase younger skirts. The younger the women, the younger the uterus and ovaries, which equals a greater chance of the female getting pregnant and propagating the species. However, the explanation comes up short in light of same-sex relationships, and even relations between older women with younger men.

Luckily, there’s a phenomenon called evolutionary psychology that looks beyond biology for answers. It takes into account why older women seek out boy-toys but never marry them: there is no evolutionary necessity for women in their 50s or 60s with lots of money who are in a position of power to settle down and have children. They are past their prime, with chances of reproduction slim; none, if menopause has already hit. You can say such women have superseded their biological functions and can have a little fun. With no babies in tow, what else can they do?

So far, we’ve delved into the psyches of older men and women and why they might pursue sexual relations with people younger than them. But, what about the supple, nubile youths who oblige? Dating sites like SugarDaddie.com have their fair share of members, or sugar babes, who are looking for sugar daddies and sugar mommies in their databases. The answer can be as simple as they want the perks afforded to their older counterparts. My friend certainly did. He took his check and gave himself a shopping spree. It may seem like a superficial reason and doesn’t speak wonders of the current generation, but it’s not altogether distasteful considering the pitfalls most of us seem to fall into when it comes to mass marketing and commercialism of beauty products and high-end fashion.

The taboo that’s tied in with either being a sugar daddy/mommy or acquiring one is that it seems too close to the exchange between a sex worker and a client. However, most relationships that have sugar daddy or sugar mommy status require certain elements. For most cases, it’s more than a few encounters. A certain rapport develops, and a potential long-term relationship may burgeon into something more serious—a marriage. My friend stayed with his sugar daddy for a good three years before he decided to get a job and earn his amenities the old-fashioned way.

There’s a certain phrase that may be used to describe people who acquire a benefactor for pleasantries: gold digger. There appears to be one major distinction between a gold digger and someone who seeks out such benefactors. Gold diggers are deceptive; their partners are not fully aware of their intentions of obtaining the relationship for material means, i.e. money. Sugar daddies/mommies and sugar babes know full well what is needed to maintain the relationship and is often described as NSA (no strings attached). Apart from trying to gain access to the fat o’ the land, sugar babes may be looking to supplement their income.

If you think such relations are ungodly and unlawful, you can always have a Sugar Daddy—the caramel on a stick.