# I'm look for words that describe love between greek gods and mortals and mortals and ghosts. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209 "2015-05-17T01:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/1 "2015-05-17T01:30:28Z")
Hi I’m reading “The Greek Myths” by Robin Waterfield. I’m looking for words that describe love between gods and mortals (eg. Zeus and Alcmene) and mortals and ghosts( eg.Laodamia and the ghost of Protesilaus). What about love between gods? I expect there are such words but I have not been able to find them online. I look forward to your feedback. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/2 "2015-05-17T03:16:01Z")
No help here, but good question. It doesn’t work out well sometimes, all’s I know. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/3 "2015-05-17T03:27:21Z")
I assume you mean the Greek principle of [agape](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape) as opposed to [philia.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philia). ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/4 "2015-05-17T03:28:07Z")
I think I posted a topic a long time ago asking why two titans, one male and one female, can bump uglies and give birth to…a god. You’d think they would produce a baby titan, so a lot of this old mythology is lacking logic. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/5 "2015-05-17T03:46:59Z")
Actually I’m looking for different form of eros: Eros between gods, between gods and mortals and between gods and ghosts. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/6 "2015-05-17T03:47:38Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I assume you mean the Greek principle of [agape](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape) as opposed to [philia.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philia). Agape, you say? That’s… sweet. But, um, no. Not to get too far into adult territory here, but love between a Greek god and a human isn’t exactly like love between the Christian God and a human. It’s usually a bit more hands-on, if you know what I mean. I think you want to look more at the [Eros](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros_%28concept%29) variety. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/7 "2015-05-17T03:59:02Z")
As for the OP, I don’t know if there is a specific term, but [spectrophilia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrophilia) is apparently a thing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-look-for-words-that-describe-love-between-greek-gods-and-mortals-and-mortals-and-ghosts/720209/8 "2015-05-17T06:00:32Z")
I’m tempted to say “theophilia” for passion between gods and mortals. Not sure, though.