6. Ludus (λϋδύς) - Ludus was the Greeks' idea of playful love, and often refers to playful affection seen between children or young lovers. It is like the flirting and teasing that often goes on in the early stages of a relationship. But we also may live out our Ludus when we sit around in with friends chatting and laughing, or when we go with someone to a party. Playful interaction might be the ultimate Ludic activity, but care must be taken lest it goes too far. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Plato
In the Symposium, a most interesting view on love and soul mates are provided by one of the characters, Aristophanes. In the speech of Aristophanes, he says that there is basically a type of love that connects people. Aristophanes begins his description of love by telling the tale of how love began. He presents the tale of three sexes: male, female, and a combination of both. These three distinct sexes represented one’s soul. These souls split in half, creating a mirror image of each one of them. Aristophanes describes love as the search for the other half of your soul in this quote: “When a man’s natural form was split in two, each half went round looking for its other half. They put their arms around one another, and embraced each other, in their desire to grow together again. Aristophanes theme is the power of Eros and how not to abuse it.
I have always thought that there was only one type of love, which was that feeling of overwhelming liking to someone else. I am aware that Lust does exist and that it is separate from Love, being that the desire for someone's body rather their mind. In Plato's Symposium, Plato speaks of many different types of love, loves that can be taken as lust as well. He writes about seven different points of view on love coming from the speakers that attend the symposium in honor of Agathon. Although all these men bring up excellent points on their definitions on love, it is a woman that makes the best definition be known. I will concentrate on the difference between the theory of Common and Heavenly love brought up by Pausanias and the important role that Diotima plays in the symposium.
When given an assignment in love I presumed that it wouldn 't be difficult to understand. Yet love is so complex it has different meaning and it can be said in different tones which give it a stronger or lesser effect. Love is defined as strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties, but it can also be defined as attraction based on sexual desire. So to find the different views on how love is portrayed I used several sources to help narrow down the true meaning of love. The goal was not only to get several sources, but also to get several age groups so my first source is an interview I had with my grandparents. My grandparents have been married for sixty years so I assumed they would have an interesting interview. I then
There are many essential emotions that form the building blocks of our lives. These emotions help to shape the people that we are. These feelings are emotional necessities to ultimately keep us happy. No piece of literature these feelings more evident than the Odyssey by Homer. Throughout the course of this book there is one major emotional theme: love.
It is uneasy to accept the fact that the way our society is set up is changing; things are not what our history books have said to be anymore. Some changes are, indeed are for the worse, causing despair and agony, but, there are some changes that bring people closer, help spread love and have the vibrancy of beautifying unexplainable emotions flowing. This beautiful change is spreading like the unstoppable virus, captivating the hearts of those stone cold citizens who prefer to live the way our “norms” are set up. This beautiful change is no other than love, same-sex love. Or decades, those who were lesbian or gay have struggled, bullied, tortured, and disowned by their friend and families and all toward what? Because they were different, because they did not live up to the society 's norms, because they fell in love. Our society needs to stop defining the meaning of love; let our hearts define it
Gilgamesh is an epic of great love, followed by lingering grief that causes a significant change in character. It is the story of a person who is feared and honored, a person who loves and hates, a person who wins and loses and a person who lives life. Gilgamesh's journey is larger than life, yet ends so commonly with death. Through Gilgamesh, the fate of mankind is revealed, and the inevitable factor of change is expressed.
The Greek God of love, Eros, was a symbol of romantic affection throughout Greek history. Different time periods depict Eros in a different light, as portrayed in Bridge’s poem in 1899 and Stevenson’s poem in 1990. Although both these works are an ode and appreciation for Eros, Bridges’ portrays him as a powerful and idyllic deity while Stevenson displays him as a worn mortal.
co-passengers in the train where she finally befriends Dimitri. But the known companions of Koula (her family and colleagues), no less than the unknown co-passengers in her train, are unable to alleviate her sense of loneliness. Here, languageing is joyless; her narratable self is ignored by the others. And hence, they cannot become her necessary others. They speak to her, communicate with her, yet fall short of being her “friends”. In Dimitri, she finds one who can narrate her selfhood and force her to narrate his. Thus, it is only through this love affair that she can enter the circularity of the narratable self and the necessary other, the two mutually fertilizing entities collaboratively languageing towards the goal of meaningful existence.
According to the stories by Edith Hamilton in Mythology, love can be deadly/dangerous/woeful, inevitable/necessary/destined, and sweet/helpful. To begin, Hamilton shows that love can be sweet and helpful. This is the case with Ceyx and Alcyone in “Ceyx and Alcyone.” Love ended up saving one of the lover’s life. When Ceyx went on a sea voyage, Alcyone warned him that it would be perilous and that he could die because the winds are so vicious and acute. “She told him with streaming tears and in a voice of broken sobs, that she knew as few others could the power of the winds upon the sea. In her father’s palace…‘I have seen the broken planks of ships tossed up. Oh, do not go…at least take me with you. I can endure whatever comes to us together” (110). However, Ceyx loved Alcyone so much that he did not want her to get hurt, so he did not let her go with him. A vicious hurricane hit the sea the day that Ceyx sailed. He ended up dying but was happy that Alcyone was unscathed. “The men on the quivering, battered boat mad with terror, all except one who thought only of Alcyone and rejoiced that she was in safety” (111). In this case Ceyx’s love for Alcyone was sweet and ended up helpful for his lover; had he let her come along she would have most likely died. His love for her was too strong. At the end the gods pitied the situation and resurrected Ceyx and made him and Alcyone birds so they could live happily ever after. Thus, in this story, love was helpful in two ways—it helped save Alcyone’s life, and love ultimately was responsible for turning Alcyone and Ceyx into birds where they lived happily, together, for a very long time. “Pygmalion and Galatea” also shows how love can be benevolent and helpful. Pygmalion was a “woman-hater” u...
Playfulness can inspire imagination. Imagination can enhance playfulness. Playfulness increases one’s ability to cope and builds resiliency. Time spent with children is easy and interesting way to find out the meaning of playfulness. While playing with children we cannot teach them about life and people should learn more from them (children) by watching them how they approach and, actually, look at life. I am saying this because, from my point of view, I think that children observe everything with interest, enjoyment and happiness, and individuals should learn to approach life in this more playful manner. Not surprisingly, the ability to fantasize commonly is associated with children. Why do we think this so? The reason lies in its ability
Cupid is a major symbol for Valentine’s Day. Simply because, he’s the god of love. Cupid was willing to do anything to make his mother, Venus, happy. She sent Cupid out on a mission to make her arch rival fall in love with the ugliest living thing ever. Unfortunately, this backfired on Venus and Cupid became his own victim.
Crash Course Ancient Greek Law First of all, before we can get to know about Ancient Greek Law we need to learn about what Ancient Greece is and what the Law is, so here we go. 1. What is the difference between a. and a. Greek, the term we use that refers to Greek people or items, as in people or things that originated from Greece. Greek food, Greek people, and Greek attractions. Ancient Greece was the Greek civilization belonging to a period of Greek history.
The Daily Life of Ancient Greeks Life in Greece in ancient times will remind you of your own life in many ways. There were school, family, athletic competitions, and social gatherings. Knowing that participants in their sporting events competed nude or that you rarely knew your husband/wife until the wedding day does however, make you grateful for the society that you live in today. Babies Life for the Greeks in Athens began in their home. Babies were delivered by the women of the family, and only in cases of serious complications was a mid-wife called.
Some people believe that there is no such thing as “true love” they believe that love is nothing but an illusion designed by social expectations. These people believe that love ultimately turns into pain and despair. This idea in some ways is true. Love is not eternal it will come to an end one way or another, but the aspect that separates true love from illusion, is the way love ends. “True Love” is much too powerful to be destroyed by Human imperfection; it may only be destroyed by a force equal to the power of love. Diotima believed that “Love is wanting to posses the good forever” In other words love is the desire to be immortal and the only way that we are able to obtain immortality is through reproduction, and since the act of reproduction is a form of sexual love, then sexual love is in fact a vital part of “True love”. Sexual love is not eternal. This lust for pleasure will soon fade, but the part of love that is immortal, is a plutonic love. You can relate this theory to the birth of love that Diotima talks about. She says that love was born by a mortal mother and immortal father. The mother represents the sexual love, the lust for pleasure. The father represents the plutonic love that is immortal. Plutonic love is defined as a true friendship, the purest of all relationships. A true plutonic love will never die; it transcends time, space, and even death.
“Prayer in action is love and love in action is service.” –Mother Teresa. To me, service is an obvious outlet for love. I went into my CSP excited and ready to serve, only to be majorly disappointed. Over the summer, I volunteered at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in the Mother/Baby Unit because last year someone in my class did and they were able to hold the babies, as well as running errands for nurses, new moms, etc. This sounded like the dream service project to me, but the week before I started, the volunteer department completely changed. So, my service at OPRMC instead consisted of sitting at the desk in the waiting room, printing out nametags for visiting friends and family, controlling the security door, keeping the waiting room orderly, and intermittently running errands for the staff.