GIVE ANSWERS - Ἑλληνική

How to say ‘I love you’ in Ancient Greek. it’s hard to say exactly what the people of Ancient Greece would have said to say ‘I love you’ to their partners or family. In Ancient Greek,

”ἀγαπῶ σὲ” (agapo se : I love you) refers to a more pure, idealistic love than the phrase, in Modern Greek. Indicates a more romantic love.

The Ancient Greeks had eight words that corresponded to different types of love:

Stοrgι (στέργω) – familial love, for example, the love of a parent for a child.

Philia (φιλία) – friendly/platonic love, for example, the love between 2 friends.

ἔραμαι (ἔρως) – (romantic, passionate love). Eros is passion, lust and pleasure. For example, the love between 2 people who are in love.

Agape (ἀγάπη) – divine love, this is the highest form of love and is defined as ‘the love of God for man and of man for God’.

The most common ways to tell someone that you love them in Ancient Greek are:

- σέο νῦν ἔραμαι : fall in love with, love 

- ἀγαπῶ σὲ : I love you

Examples :

Τοῦ ὅλου οὖν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ καὶ διώξει ἔρως ὄνομα : Love is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete ”Plato, Symposium, 192e10”

Ὄττω τις ἔραται : Whatever one loves best | Whom you desire most ”Sappho”