In ancient Greece, a club or association of companions; a political faction or social group united by bonds of companionship.
From Greek 'hetaeria,' derived from 'hetairos' meaning 'companion.' These organizations were common in ancient Athens and played important roles in political movements, initially as social clubs but sometimes becoming powerful political factions.
Hetaeriae were essentially ancient Greek political action committees—friends banded together into formal clubs with oaths and hierarchies, and sometimes these 'friendship societies' literally overthrew the government, making them simultaneously social and dangerous.
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