According to Wikipedia, there are 6 words for love in the Greek language. Each of them deserves to be looked at as we, that being western authors, often find our perceptions of love colored by the different categories outlined by these six words.

Part 3: Philia

This word for Love found in Greek is seen as a dispassionate love between equals. Brothers-in-arms, friends at school, and teammates in a game share this kind of love or affection. Most of the members in an adventuring party from Lord of the Rings to The Wheel of Time have this amongst their members. Some individual pairings within the parties may have deeper loves, different loves, or less love, but they all have at least a Philia for one another. Is this someone who you would put over your family, in most cases, no, but over a stranger? In most cases, yes.

This bond of friends is not something that is hard to form, but it is also something that is not hard to lose. If a soccer (football) teammate gets on your best friend’s bad side, someone you have a deeo Agape love for, then it is unlikely you will take your teammate’s side unless the person you are close with is being extremely unreasonable.

You could easily right this into a story, and it has been done many times. Often teams will come together out of necessity and work well together. Perhaps, over time, these teammates develop different dynamics with the other individuals that make up the team, but when they start out it is a very lowly Philia, like “Hey, I know we need to work together, so lets get along, okay?” Your hero could have a great threat arise that entails the ruin of their village, so he has to put aside his hatred of his bully to team up with him and overcome the greater threat. This bond of friendship borne from need, could lead to a deeper more connected relationship between the two characters.

How have your characters engaged with others with Philia? Tell me about a time when your MC developed Philia with a rival. Here in the comments or mention me in a post on X @ ABTimothyAuthor