The word “love” can be used in many different contexts- the love for our parents, best friend, romantic partner, grandparent, sibling, job, car, etc, greekcitytimes.com notes in the following article on the eight words that the Ancient Greeks had for different types of love:
The first kind of love is Eros, named after the Greek God of fertility.
Eros is passion, lust, and pleasure.
The ancient Greeks considered Eros to be dangerous and frightening as it involves a “loss of control” through the primal impulse to procreate. Eros is an intense form of love that arouses romantic and sexual feelings.
Philia (affectionate love)
The second type of love is Philia, or friendship.
Plato felt that physical attraction was not a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, “without physical attraction.”
Agape (selfless, universal love)
The third is Agape, selfless universal love, such as the love for strangers, nature, or God.
This love is unconditional, bigger than ourselves, boundless compassion and an infinite empathy that you extended to everyone, whether they are family members or distant strangers.
Storge (familiar love)
Storge is a natural form of affection experienced between family members.
This protective, kinship-based love is common between parents and their children, and children for their parents.
Storge can also describe a sense of patriotism toward a country or allegiance to the same team.
Mania (obsessive love)
When love turns to obsession, it becomes a mania.
Stalking behaviors, co-dependency, extreme jealousy, and violence are all symptoms of Mania.
Ludus (playful love or “erototropia” in Greek)
The Ancient Greeks thought of Ludus as a playful form of love.
It describes the situation of having a crush and acting on it or the affection between young lovers.
Pragma (enduring love)
Pragma is a love built on commitment, understanding, and long-term best interests.
It is a love that has aged, matured, and about making compromises to help the relationship work overtime, also showing patience and tolerance.
Philautia (self-love)
The Greeks understood that in order to care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves.
As Aristotle said, “All friendly feelings for others are an extension of a man’s feelings for himself.”
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Mindmatrix
