Love and friendship and ancient Greeks

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http://www.sacred-tplaexts.com/lgbt/iol/iol05.htm:

Plato in the Symposium writes:
"[And great] was the reward of the true love of Achilles towards his lover Patroclus--his lover and not his love (the notion that Patroclus was the beloved one is a foolish error into which Æschylus has fallen, for Achilles was surely the fairer of the two, fairer also than all the other heroes; and, as Homer informs us, he was still beardless, and younger far). And greatly as the gods honor the virtue of love, still the return of love on the part of the beloved to the lover is more admired and valued and rewarded by them, for the lover has a nature more divine and worthy of worship. Now Achilles was quite aware, for he had been told by his mother, that he might avoid death and return home, and live to a good old age, if he abstained from slaying Hector. Nevertheless he gave his life to revenge his friend, and dared to die, not only on his behalf, but after his death. Wherefore the gods honored him even above Alcestis, and sent him to the Islands of the Blest. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape:

on the word agape:
"Greek philosophers at the time of Plato and other ancient authors have used forms of the word to denote love of a spouse or family, or affection for a particular activity, in contrast to philia (an affection that could denote friendship, brotherhood or generally non-sexual affection) and eros, an affection of a sexual nature."

http://www.iep.utm.edu/love/:

on the agape:
"The love of God requires absolute devotion that is reminiscent of Plato’s love of Beauty (and Christian translators of Plato such as St. Augustine employed the connections), which involves an erotic passion, awe, and desire that transcends earthly cares and obstacles. Aquinas, on the other hand, picked up on the Aristotelian theories of friendship and love to proclaim God as the most rational being and hence the most deserving of one’s love, respect, and considerations."

http://www.infed.org/biblio/friendship.htm:

Aristotle on friendship:
"Perfect friendship is based on goodness. Only the friendship of those who are good, and similar in their goodness, is perfect. For these people each alike wish good for the other qua good, and they are good in themselves. And it is those who desire the good of their friends for the friends’ sake that are most truly friends, because each loves the other for what he is, and not for any incidental quality. Accordingly the friendship of such men lasts so long as they remain good; and goodness is an enduring quality. Also each party is good both absolutely and for his friend, since the good are both good absolutely and useful to each other. Similarly they please one another too; for the good are pleasing both absolutely and to each other; because everyone is pleased with his own conduct and conduct that resembles it, and the conduct of good men is the same or similar. Friendship of this kind is permanent, reasonably enough; because in it are united all the attributes that friends ought to possess. For all friendship has as its object something good or pleasant — either absolutely or relatively to the person who feels the affection — and is based on some similarity between the parties. But in this friendship all the qualities that we have mentioned belong to the friends themselves; because in it there is similarity, etc.; and what is absolutely good is also absolutely pleasant; and these are the most lovable qualities. Therefore it is between good men that both love and friendship are chiefly found and in the highest form."

http://thinkexist.com/quotes/top/nation ... eek/2.html

from Euripides:
"“Friends show their love - in times of trouble, not in happiness”"

from Plutarch:
"““I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.”"

Tell me what ya think guys.

[PaulSacramento]

First off, lets remember that the Greeks view of equality was for its citizens and not for all ( equality amongst equals).
If I recall, Plato's ideal of Love was between two men.
All that aside though, there is a universal understanding of what is correct, of what is right and wrong, of the amazing power and purpose of love.
The bible recognizes that.
We need to undersstand though that the "pagan" ideal of love is a very "lower" ideal than the Christian one. It is , at best, a starting point.