We’re gearing up for Valentine’s Day with a lot of books and movies that remind us of the enduring power of love. And when we get bored with those, we look at historical couples. Because on rare occasions, true stories are almost as good as fiction. Certainly, that’s the case with these ten couples:
Achilles and Patroclus
Let's presuppose that, historically, Achilles was actually a fighting demigod whose ankle was weak because his mother gripped him by it while submerging him in a magical immortality stream. Everyone on board with that? Great. After Patroclus was slain by Hector, Achille's grief was so great that he wasn't able to dispose of the body until Patroclus's ghost (this is a real story that really happened with real people) came to him and told him to let him go. Achilles then killed Hector, and, rather than returning Hector's body to the Trojans, dragged his corpse around behind his chariot. For a while, anyway.
Antony and Cleopatra
At least in Shakespeare's version of their tragic love story (adapted from Plutarch) the two die imagining their reunion in the afterlife. That sounds awful. Don't make suicide pacts. Still, we wouldn't mind having someone say that "age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety: other women cloy / The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry / Where most she satisfies" to us. We're in favor of that.
Heloise And Abelard
Heloise was one of the foremost female intellectuals of her time, and Abelard was a renowned philosopher. Shortly after he began tutoring her they fell in love, and, while Abelard wanted a secret marriage, Heloise said she'd prefer to remain his mistress. They had a child named Astrolabe. Seemingly, Heloise's uncle didn't find this as a cool and modern and progressive as we did, because he castrated Abelard. Abelard then went off to be a monk, and Heloise became a nun, but they continued to exchange love letters until they died.
See more romantic couples throughout history!
Related Stories:
The Perfect Gift for Valentine's Day
I Lost My Virginity on Valentine's Day
I Stalked My Middle School Crush
