Greek word for soul mate

I'd see what phrase Plato's Symposium uses for the closest concept.

From memory (and a quick google) he argued that Aphrodite Urania was the ultimate in soul-mateship.

Of course, he also argued that it was such a pure love it could never occur between a man and a woman .. such a perfect meeting of minds could only occur between two men.

(However it also has a long section discussing under which circumstances pedophilia is acceptable - so you might want to take what it says with a grain of salt!)

Mac

It's my understanding that pedophilia was pretty much culturally expected among the ancient Greeks.

And from the little I've read I'd question whether they would be familiar with the concept of a female soul-mate for a man. But I'm definitely not an expert of any sort.

You might try making something up, like "psucheros" or something similar--a combination of the word for soul/life force, and literally breath (psuche) and the word for passionate love (eros). You've made up the whole concept, right? Why not make up the word for it?

Besides, the Greeks were fond of compound words and names. And when a clever reader figures out what you've done, they'll appreciate you all the more for it!

ETA: Another words for soul: pneuma, which is the rational, immortal soul. And well maybe you don't want it to be masculine? Eropsuche, eropneume? Just throwing ideas out there. You could also combine soul and woman (gyne) for a good compound name. Psuchegyne or something.

I'm kind of a Greece freak.

Yanni?

Ravenlocks said:

It's my understanding that pedophilia was pretty much culturally expected among the ancient Greeks.

And from the little I've read I'd question whether they would be familiar with the concept of a female soul-mate for a man. But I'm definitely not an expert of any sort.

Click to expand...

Heterosexual love was looked down in early years, but by the Hellenistic period it was gaining stature, like in Apollonius Rhodes' Argonautica. Less of the Heracles/Hylas, more of the Jason/Medea.

Danger Jane said:

Heterosexual love was looked down in early years, but by the Hellenistic period it was gaining stature, like in Apollonius Rhodes' Argonautica. Less of the Heracles/Hylas, more of the Jason/Medea.

Click to expand...

And yet the Trojan War was supposedly fought over a hetero relationship. I remember reading about a male prostitute/geisha/courtesan complaining that Socrates was only interested in his mind.

I wonder what future archeologists would think if the only thing they unearthed of our culture was Hugh Hefner's mansion?

agape was pure mental love, eros-physical