Definition

Proper noun 1. Exemplars of perfect friendship: In Greek legend, Damon and Pythias are two friends whose loyalty and trust were so profound that one was willing to die to save the other, and the other returned faithfully to face death, ultimately saving them both.

Usage

• The term is used to describe an ideal, selfless, and unbreakable friendship.
• It is often invoked in literary or rhetorical contexts to highlight the supreme test of loyalty.
• It functions as a singular concept representing the pair and their story.

Examples

• Their unwavering support for each other in times of crisis was a modern example of Damon and Pythias.
• The legend of Damon and Pythias has been told for centuries as the ultimate story of friendship.
• They were like Damon and Pythias, each willing to sacrifice everything for the other.

Advanced Usage

• Damon-and-Pythias friendship: A compound adjective used to describe a friendship of extraordinary loyalty.
  • They shared a Damon-and-Pythias friendship that lasted their entire lives.

Variants and Related Words

• Damon (Proper noun): One of the two friends in the legend, who offered himself as a hostage.
• Pythias (Proper noun): The other friend in the legend, who was sentenced to death and returned to save his friend.

Synonyms

• Devoted friends
• Inseparable companions
• True friends

Related Idioms

• A friendship like that of Damon and Pythias: Used to describe an exceptionally strong and loyal bond between two people.
  • In the story, the two soldiers developed a friendship like that of Damon and Pythias.

Noun

1. (Greek mythology) according to a Greek legend: when Pythias was sentenced to be executed Damon took his place to allow Pythias to get his affairs in order; when Pythias returned in time to save Damon the king was so impressed that he let them both live