Eros
Most of us wouldn't know the significance of the name, Eros. Eros is the Greek equivalent to the Roman Cupid, but it was actually the Romans who borrowed Eros from the Greeks and renamed him Cupid. Well actually Greek and Roman mythology has mingled so much that there are many debates as to his true origins.
Greek mythology has five 'possible' theories as to how Eros came about, in the Dionysian Mysteries, Eros is referred to as "protagonus", the first born-Meaning he came about along with the wellspring of mythology itself. But there are many variations to whom the parents of Eros really where. According to Aristophanes he was born from Erebus and Nyx (Night); in later mythology Eros is the offspring of Aphrodite and Ares. Yet in the Theogony, the epic poem written by Hesiod, it mentions a typified Eros as being an attendant of Aphrodite, but not her son. Another legend says that he was the son of Iris and Zephyrus.
(Eros. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved February 06, 2005, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html)
When we imagine Cupid, we think of a small winged child carrying a quiver of arrows and a bow. By the general nature of his task and his ‘appearance’, we tend to think he would be a mischievous little child. But beyond that, Eros grew up. Later on in Greek mythology, Eros is depicted as a grown man who falls in love.
As Legend goes, there was an extremely beautiful mortal names Psyche. Aphrodite was jealous of her beauty, and told Eros to shoot her with one of his arrows; making her fall in love with the ugliest man on earth. Eros went to Psyche with the intention of carrying out Aphrodite’s wishes, but instead he fell in love with her. Eros would visit her every night but kept his identity secret; by asking Psyche not to light the lamp. But one night curiosity overcame her, and she lit the lamp. A drop of hot oil spilt from the lamp, awakening Eros. Eros was outraged and left her; Psyche distraught roamed the earth in search of Eros.
From here there are many variations, the simplest is that Zeus took pity on them and consolidated their reunion. The more complex variation is from the Romans,
Soon, Psyche wandered near the Temple of Venus. Venus being spiteful wanted to destroy Psyche and gave her a series of tasks. On her last task, she was given a box and told to travel to the underworld and capture some of the beauty of Proserpine (the wife of Pluto) and put it into the box. During her trip, she was given tips how she might avoid danger in the underworld, she was also warned not to open the box. But once again curiosity overcame her, and she opened the box. Inside she found naught but the cold embrace of eternal slumber. Cupid found Psyche lifeless on the ground and gathered the ‘eternal slumber’ from her body, returning it into its box. The gods moved by her show of love made her a goddess.
*The Roman equivalent of Aphrodite is Venus.
It wasn’t actually stated in the variations of text I read that they got back together; merely that Cupid forgave Psyche. But I’m guessing they did.
Greek mythology has five 'possible' theories as to how Eros came about, in the Dionysian Mysteries, Eros is referred to as "protagonus", the first born-Meaning he came about along with the wellspring of mythology itself. But there are many variations to whom the parents of Eros really where. According to Aristophanes he was born from Erebus and Nyx (Night); in later mythology Eros is the offspring of Aphrodite and Ares. Yet in the Theogony, the epic poem written by Hesiod, it mentions a typified Eros as being an attendant of Aphrodite, but not her son. Another legend says that he was the son of Iris and Zephyrus.
(Eros. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved February 06, 2005, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html)
When we imagine Cupid, we think of a small winged child carrying a quiver of arrows and a bow. By the general nature of his task and his ‘appearance’, we tend to think he would be a mischievous little child. But beyond that, Eros grew up. Later on in Greek mythology, Eros is depicted as a grown man who falls in love.
As Legend goes, there was an extremely beautiful mortal names Psyche. Aphrodite was jealous of her beauty, and told Eros to shoot her with one of his arrows; making her fall in love with the ugliest man on earth. Eros went to Psyche with the intention of carrying out Aphrodite’s wishes, but instead he fell in love with her. Eros would visit her every night but kept his identity secret; by asking Psyche not to light the lamp. But one night curiosity overcame her, and she lit the lamp. A drop of hot oil spilt from the lamp, awakening Eros. Eros was outraged and left her; Psyche distraught roamed the earth in search of Eros.
From here there are many variations, the simplest is that Zeus took pity on them and consolidated their reunion. The more complex variation is from the Romans,
Soon, Psyche wandered near the Temple of Venus. Venus being spiteful wanted to destroy Psyche and gave her a series of tasks. On her last task, she was given a box and told to travel to the underworld and capture some of the beauty of Proserpine (the wife of Pluto) and put it into the box. During her trip, she was given tips how she might avoid danger in the underworld, she was also warned not to open the box. But once again curiosity overcame her, and she opened the box. Inside she found naught but the cold embrace of eternal slumber. Cupid found Psyche lifeless on the ground and gathered the ‘eternal slumber’ from her body, returning it into its box. The gods moved by her show of love made her a goddess.
*The Roman equivalent of Aphrodite is Venus.
It wasn’t actually stated in the variations of text I read that they got back together; merely that Cupid forgave Psyche. But I’m guessing they did.
posted by Gabriel at
2:31 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home