Eros

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**Eros** (Ancient Greek Ἔρως, *Érōs*, lit. "sexual love") the greek god and personification of sexual love (the concept of *ἔρως*). He is sometimes presented as an primordial deity, older even than both the Titan and Olympian gods, though elsewhere he is the son of Ares and Aphrodite, and often presented as the latter's minion and close associate.

With his love arrows and bow, Eros has the ability to make just everyone fall in love with anyone else of his own choice. No one is immune of his powers, not even the powerful Olympian gods, with three exceptions; the virgin goddesses Hestia, Athena and Artemis. Eros features as a secondary character in many myths where he makes people fall in love; however he does get the spotlight in the myth of how he and Psyche met, fell in love and married despite the hardships they faced.

His Roman counterpart is the god Cupid.

## Miscellaneous Myths

### Eros and Psyche

The story of the romance between Eros and Psyche is Eros’ biggest role in Greek myth. Psyche was a princess so beautiful she was worshipped over Aphrodite. That made Aphrodite furious, who ordered her son Eros to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous monster, only for Eros to fall in love with her himself.

Meanwhile Psyche was incredibly lonely; her famed beauty was so great she was admired from afar. Wanting to be loved, she went to the oracle to ask whether she’d find love, only to be told she was destine to marry a monster. Psyche was then taken to a big cliff where she’s left so her monstrous husband can take her. The west wind, Zephyrus, transported her to her husband’s luxurious palace. Her husband was invisible, even in bed, though Psyche was well taken, and soon fell pregnant. One day, her two sisters visited, and, jealous of Psyche’s great luck, put doubts in her about her husband. They encouraged her to discover her mysterious husband’s identity, and kill him in case he really is a monster.

That night Psyche entered their chamber with a lantern, and saw that her husband is the beautiful god Eros; she even pricked herself on one of his arrows, falling even more in love with him. But a bit of oil from her lantern splashed onto him, waking him up. Hurt by her betrayal, Eros fled despite Psyche’s pleads.

Eros flew back to Aphrodite, who nursed his minor injury, but this made her determined to make Psyche pay, by making her accomplish four impossible tasks for her if she ever wanted to see Eros again. Psyche agreed.

As Psyche was having trouble accomplishing Aphrodite’s demands, Eros in the meantime forgave her for betraying his trust, but Aphrodite kept him confined nonetheless; the last of Psyche’s tasks was to go to the Underworld and take some of Persephone’s beauty to bring to Aphrodite. Psyche was successful, but realizing she was about to meet Eros again, and she was in rugs and had an unkempt appearance, decided to use a little of Persephone’s beauty for herself; but once she opened the box, she fell into deep sleep like death.

Meanwhile Eros had managed to free himself from Aphrodite, and found Psyche comatose. He kissed her awake, and flew to Olympus, where he asked Zeus to help them get married. Zeus agreed, in spite of Aphrodite’s protests, and gave Psyche ambrosia to drink, which made her into an immortal goddess. In time, a daughter, Hedone (“pleasure”) was born to the couple.

### Medea

Eros doesn’t appear in this video (though his arrow does, painted the same colour as himself); Medea fell in love with Jason after being shot by one of Eros’ arrows on the orders of Hera, Jason’s patron goddess.

### Nerites

Before Aphrodite rose from the sea to become an Olympian goddess, she spent her time underneath the waves. There she fell in love with Nerites, a young sea god, son of Nereus and Doris and brother to the Nereids. When she wished to leave the sea, she asked Nerites to join her, but he wouldn't come with her, unwilling to leave his family behind. Even after she offered him a pair of wings, Nerites would still not change his mind about not leaving the sea. Angered by his rejection, Aphrodite turned Nerites into a shrimp and left the sea for good; eventually she gave those wings to her son Eros instead.

### The Theogony

In Hesiod’s *Theogony*, Eros is an archaic deity, that came to be shortly after Chaos, Gaia and Tartarus themselves came into existence, rather than the son of Ares and Aphrodite which was more popular among writers that came long after Hesiod.

## Physical appearance

Eros is coloured plum-purple and pink; his older design was more pink than purple. He also sports wings, and is bare-chested.

## Appearances

Eros and Psyche

The Theogony

Aphrodite