The Ancient Greeks’ 6 Words for Love

[vekin]

The ancient Greeks had six different words for love, I think we can learn from these visions of the ancient Greeks on love.

1. Eros, or sexual passion

This kind of love is names after the Greek god of fertility, Eros. Eros was the way to describe the idea of sexual passion and desire. Maybe it would surprise you that this kind of love wasn’t always experienced as something positive, it was seen as something dangerous. Eros could mean losing control and that frightning for the Greeks. Now it’s much different, now we long to fall “madly”in love.

2. Philia, or deep friendship

Philia, the second variety of love, was more important then the Eros in the opion of the Greek. Philia developed for example between men who had fought together in wars. In this kind of love was loyality very important, next to sharing emotions with eachother.

3. Ludus, or playful love

Ludus was the word which they used for the affection between children or Young lovers.

4. Agape, or love for everyone

The most radical one is the agape, in this kind of love you don;t make a difference between famiilyy members or complete strangers, it’s selfless love The latin word for agape is caritas, the origin for charity.

5. Pragma, or longstanding love

Pragma, this was the word used for mature love. It was used for a deep understanding between man and woman who were for a long time together. Keywords for pragma are compromise, patience and tolerance.

6. Philautia, or love of the self

Philautia, is the last variety. This kind of love you divide in a healthy and unhealthy version. The idea is that when you love yourself you are better able to love other people.

Aristotle said it like this, "All friendly feelings for others are an extension of a man's feelings for himself."

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Note: am not an expert on this subject but read something about this and thought I make a myTake about it because maybe more will think it's intresting.

Source: yesmagazine

[ObscuredBeyond]

Greek can be a very specific language. Which is why Bible scholars are expected to go over it so thoroughly. Some of the craziest stuff I've heard from pulpits can best be explained away as a charismatic speaker that doesn't understand Greek, but tells his followers what they want to hear. And that's dangerous, since English words can be twisted very easily compared to the much-more-rigid Greek. Derrida even started an academic political movement around twisting the English language, largely due to that very observation.

[Anonymous]

I'm Greek and this is very much true. We use these words today too in order to describe what we feel for someone. When we are in love, we use the word "eros". When we love someone (family, fruends etc) ww use the word "agape" and so on. The only thing is that I have never heard of the word " Ludus", but overall this take is quite on point :)

[scarlett]

It's so true that there are different ways of loving. And these are all healthy ones, because some others are kind of pathological lol

[Anonymous]

Ask rather why, in English, we only have one word for a concept which so obviously requires more to be accurately described?

The result is confusion and fuzzy thinking.

[vekin]

yes indeed one word isn't enough

[kingoficeolation]

That's true. A language noted for offering massive freedom to express one's meaning as specifically as desired, and with synonyms beyond count for good measure, and yet there's really only the one word for love.

[Cerenityy]

Ohhh the ancient Greeks. Cradle of civilization. This is awesome.

[Spiorad_Aisce]

Fascinating take, very educational - Well worth a read and a moments reflection on the meaning of love.

[vekin]

thank you!

[PiuBelloAmante]

Great take! very informative and entertaining :)
i think love can be so many things! and the greeks knew that :)
love manifests in different ways :)

[vekin]

Good to know you liked it

[Anonymous]

I think it's good that in English it's the same word for both types of love, as it's the same thing really. Just with romantic love there is also lust involved. Philia just means friendship, philos is greek for friend. Pragma just means "thing", in ancient greek it also could mean "important thing", which I guess that's what it means here. Ludus I've never heard before, but it doesn't seem like love at all. And philaftia doesn't really need to be a separate word

[fauchelevent]

Classics student here, I love this kind of thing <3

[vekin]

Glad you liked it

[Nice_Guy_Last]

I feel that Philia is better described as camaraderie. I find that if any status of platonic closeness is going to be compared to love, camaraderie is by far the most fitting analogy.

[Diputs]

Cool take. I went to a Catholic high school and had to learn a bit of Greek.

[Destinylaw]

The problem with the English language is that it only has like and love. I wish there would be more.

[vekin]

And you say i love you but also i love pizza

[Strider90]

I never heard the word Ludus. But I know everything else and the word Pragma actually means Thing.

[zell0is0my0name]

I love Greek language :)

[LamarDavis]

Im Greek :)

[zell0is0my0name]

@LamarDavis : you speak Greek? That's so nice!

[LamarDavis]

Ναι Μιλαω

[zell0is0my0name]

@LamarDavis : what did you say? I don't understand..

[LamarDavis]

i said yes i speak

[zell0is0my0name]

@LamarDavis : oops sorry, wish I knew greek

[Johnson123]

yasas!!, kai ego milao ellinika!! @LamarDavis will understand but not @zell0is0my0name xD

[LamarDavis]

@Johnson123 @Johnson123 i never knew greeks actually have gag or even know this page xerome poli giafto :)

[Johnson123]

@LamarDavis i live in Canada, but i met some greeks on here

[Anonymous]

now that's a take. and it shows the superiority the ancients had compared to us. a dead, generic, lukeworm word in English "love" tries to describe a vast array of conditions and fails at it.

[MysteriousFlower]

That is very sweet. I hope to have pragma.

[vekin]

I hope tooI

[SurströmmingLover]

Pragma means thing in Greek

[LamarDavis]

Έλληνας Έισαι?

[vekin]

If you say so

[SurströmmingLover]

@LamarDavis nai

[James-ice]

Well done I really enjoyed this mytake.

[Anonymous]

Meh Greeks are so lame anyway

[LamarDavis]

Meh you are lame

[Opinion Owner]

@lamarDavis says the lame Greek

[apexalpha]

So puppy love is the modern day equvilant of luda

[Anonymous]

7 words you missed out Pederasty.

[vekin]

and what does that mean?

[Opinion Owner]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pederasty check it out.