Love does not have to be a form of slavery...

[Corvidia]

Thank you for my intro to Greek lesson.  I feel the need to try and learn more now.  Are they more exacting in their definitions of terms than the English language in most cases or just in words that tend to come out in subjects like philosophy?  The word love is almost meaningless in English.  I can love the taste of an apple or I can love someone so deeply that I would rather let them go than to see them enslave themselves to me.  I can love vanilla ice cream (I'm a food addict, damnit) or I can love a deity, Hail Eris. 

I never studied Greek beyond learning how to say the names of their letters (did you know that mathematicians pronounce the letter phi as "fee" instead of "fie" ?) or Latin beyond the level of translation rather than reading, but I see no reason to believe that Greeks (outside people like philosophers) used words for love and affection in a technical sense.  Certainly more specific than English, since they had more words for love than we do - we only really differentiate between "like" and "love" in one-word categories.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that defining your terms, especially terms like "love" (which as you pointed out is almost essentially meaningless today) is a great way to prevent people from reading exactly the wrong thing into what you wrote.

Pretty much the only reason I know about these thins is a priest who used to preach at the RC I went to several years ago. Agape is his thing.
Do you come from an English speaking household? If you do, that could be why you think they would have used one word for love, like we do. I honestly have no idea if you're right, but it could be your linguistic bias.

I don't think that's exactly what he meant, Lech.

However, eros does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros can be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than the philia love of friendship.

Simon's just a wee bit ignorant of certain Greek ideas, is all.

Yeah, I identify with that. Platonic eros. works great for me.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic. But if you are, don't scoff. That's a real deal. I had a relationship like that. Neither one of us was romantically interested in the other, but it wasn't just friends.

[Akara]

would that be "friends with benefits?" I think it's pretty hard to have "eros" be a platonic thing. but I'm  no expert.

[Pope Lecherous]

would that be "friends with benefits?" I think it's pretty hard to have "eros" be a platonic thing. but I'm  no expert.

They are intertwined.  It only becomes "wrong" when promises are broken

[Corvidia]

would that be "friends with benefits?" I think it's pretty hard to have "eros" be a platonic thing. but I'm  no expert.

Um, ew. I love him, but I don't want in his pants. Red heads are a no-go and I'm not his type physically either.

[Kai]

I don't think that's exactly what he meant, Lech.

However, eros does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros can be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than the philia love of friendship.

Simon's just a wee bit ignorant of certain Greek ideas, is all.

Yeah, I identify with that. Platonic eros. works great for me.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic. But if you are, don't scoff. That's a real deal. I had a relationship like that. Neither one of us was romantically interested in the other, but it wasn't just friends.

I'm not in the least sarcastic.

[Rococo Modem Basilisk]

I can totally see platonic eros. Unfortunately, for me, platonic eros generally leads into non-platonic eros, which is occasionally a problem.