Ancient greeks didn't have a word for "romantic love". When they talked about a relationship between a man and a woman used words that meant " to own", or "to take into high account". Very rarely they used the word " to get together" meaning having sex. That was used for example when Achlleus and Patroclus's bones " got together" after death. They were buried together. Afrodites wasn't the goddess of love, she was the protector of prostitutes. Eros, with his little arch, was the god of passion. That's the reason why even Saffo in her poems only talks about lust, pain, sex, people that she "took into high account". Even Saffo, never used the word love. Because it didn't exist.
Latins first suggested that could exist a different type of love. Latin word " amare" mixes the meanings of greek words "eros" and "agape". Latins used "amare" meaning: a sexual relationship between two people, love for personal belongings, love between friends, relatives and nations.
The word "love" as it's commonly used today in english doesn't come from latin or greek, but from anglosaxon. It appeared first in 9th century, and it was used to mean " the sense of protection towards something one owns", opposing to "lust", wich was referred to " desire for something that one doesn't own". So, love and lust could be felt in the same way talking about women or horses.
Christianity introduced the concept of love between people, and slowly it became a translation of the latin word " amare", meaning " good will among men".
In the middle ages, when christianity was strong, and sex without marriage considered a sin, "love" started to be used as a metaphore for sex. Writers could talk about sex without really saying anything wrong.
We can say that Shakespeare gave the meaning of love as we now know it. Shakespeare, who actually wrote for his queen, Elizabeth.
So, believe me if I say that love is a literary invention, and in the best of cases, a brand new thing.
Latins first suggested that could exist a different type of love. Latin word " amare" mixes the meanings of greek words "eros" and "agape". Latins used "amare" meaning: a sexual relationship between two people, love for personal belongings, love between friends, relatives and nations.
The word "love" as it's commonly used today in english doesn't come from latin or greek, but from anglosaxon. It appeared first in 9th century, and it was used to mean " the sense of protection towards something one owns", opposing to "lust", wich was referred to " desire for something that one doesn't own". So, love and lust could be felt in the same way talking about women or horses.
Christianity introduced the concept of love between people, and slowly it became a translation of the latin word " amare", meaning " good will among men".
In the middle ages, when christianity was strong, and sex without marriage considered a sin, "love" started to be used as a metaphore for sex. Writers could talk about sex without really saying anything wrong.
We can say that Shakespeare gave the meaning of love as we now know it. Shakespeare, who actually wrote for his queen, Elizabeth.
So, believe me if I say that love is a literary invention, and in the best of cases, a brand new thing.
VIEW 27 of 27 COMMENTS
And I work in a Bar and I work on set as a gaffer or grip so I'm around people. I just tend to find myself in alone in crowed rooms alot. But just at the bar on set I'm got lights to keep me company on set.
I was meaning to ask you- the band Im in was performing in Ravenna on a festival some years ago, and to this day I still dont know what exactly they wrote about us in the articles in the newspapers, or in the program leaflet. I can guess my way through it but Im afraid my Italian is mostly meant for buying food or any such small things
I can send you a goodness package in the mail for return.
[Edited on Aug 01, 2004 8:49AM]