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Greek Love

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natalie_1982 | 14:27 Tue 07th Dec 2004 | Phrases & Sayings
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When I was in school I remember being taught that the Ancient Greek (maybe modern Greeks too) had three words for 'love'.  Erose, Philos and something else.  They meant love as in "I love cheese and pickle sarnies", "I love my husband" and a third one.  Does anyone know the third 'love' word and what each of them means?  (Mine weren't in order!).  Thanks.
  
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nothing to do with tennis is it?
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Ummm, no I don't think so.
I think the third one was agape as in "Aga Pea" not "open mouthed".  I think Eros was sexual love (as in erotica); agape was love for your parents; and philos was for the sarnies...  I'll tell you something funny (or maybe not).  Years ago I was reading "The rhyme of the ancient mariner" and at one point it said that someone "cried agape".  For years I though it meant he had cried out love until an acquaintance who was an academic put me right...   I await better educated AB contributors to say whether I got my three "loves" right or not!
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Well you knew more than me for a start Hgrove!  Thanks.
agape is non sexual love in general, not just for your parents

I was taught there was 4 types:

Eros - erotic love

Storge - love of one's children

Philia - love towards friends

Agape - spiritual, selfless love

The Greek words were "eros", "agape", and "philia", right?

We all use those definitions, but in the same word. "Eros" is a romantic, sexual hormone-raging love. "Agape" is a deep, connecting, brotherly love.

"Philia" is a...hmm...I think necrophilia and pedophilia explain it.


That is why we are all confused over what "love" is, since we have dozens of definitions for it!

hmm - i had a very different idea as to what "greek love" is... ho ho
philia however is not just bad as per Octavious's examples.  It is also in the word "philosophy" (love of wisdom).
is that phillia osophy then?
Agape is an unconditional love as a parent has for a child.

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