The god Eros, or Eros, is one of the most beloved characters in Greek mythology. Unfortunately, today his appearance is greatly distorted by the influence of Roman culture, which is why many people imagine him in the form of a little boy. However, genuine Eros differs from this image both externally and internally.
The first mention of the great god
The Greek god Eros personifies love and fertility, and he is also considered one of the first celestials. So, according to legend, he appeared due to the merger of the eternal darkness of Erebus and the goddess of the night, Nikta. Because of this, he is often called the creature that caused the original Chaos. It was he who subsequently made Uranus (heaven) and Gaia (earth) come together.
However, over time, the Greeks came up with a different story of the birth of Eros. So, the parents of the god of love were Aphrodite and Ares - the two strongest inhabitants of Olympus. Rumor has it that Zeus, seeing a threat in their child, ordered to kill him as a baby. But the goddess of love and beauty could not come to terms with such a father’s order - she sent her child to the sacred forest. There, two fierce lionesses looked after him, guarding and feeding him.
The face of Eros
The Greek god of love Eros is a handsome young man with an athletic physique. The Greeks believed that he has the most beautiful face on the planet, since his mother is Aphrodite. In addition, white wings capable of delivering God to any place were an integral attribute of Eros.
In particular, the appearance of Eros served as a prototype for the Roman god of love Amur, later he became better known as Cupid. What is true, under the influence of Roman mythology, the appearance of the Greek celestial god has changed greatly. So, from a strong and muscular youth, he turned into a chubby playful little peanut with small wings.
Eros - the god of love, armed with a bow
God Eros possessed the sacred bow of love. The Greeks believed that it was made of pure gold, and its brilliance was able to blind everyone who dared to look at it. But much more power had arrows of Eros. By the way, there were two types of arrows in the quiver: gold with pigeon plumage and lead with an owl edging. The former gave people love, and the latter aroused indifference.
In addition, the god Eros could hit the soul of any creature, be it a person or a god. Therefore, Aphrodite always kept her son near her, in order to use his strength at the right time. Rumor has it that in this way she destroyed the hearts of many people who dared to speak contemptuously about her.
God Eros and Psyche
For a long time no one could compare in beauty with Aphrodite. However, one fine day, the goddess heard that in a small village there lives a lovely girl named Psyche. And, worst of all, many men are sure that even the goddess of beauty herself can envy her face .
Naturally, such rumors infuriated Aphrodite. In a fit of anger, she asks her son to shoot an arrow in her heart so that she makes her fall in love with the ugliest man. God Eros obediently listened to the words of his mother and went to the house where Psyche lived. But when he saw a beautiful woman, he unconditionally fell in love with her.
The trouble was that the laws of Olympus forbade mortals to see Eros. Therefore, he began to come to Psyche only under cover of night, so that she would not see his face. But the girl still loved the young god with all her heart. Soon they got married, but even after that, Eros came to his wife only on dark nights.
And everything would be fine if it were not for the envious sisters of Psyche. After the wedding, they began to slander Eros, convincing the young wife that her chosen one was a real monster. Alas, poor Psyche believed their words and decided to break the vow made to her husband. She carried a candle and a knife into the bedroom in order to see the true appearance of Eros, and, if necessary, kill him.
However, she was not a monster, but a beautiful young man. From this, her hands trembled and drops of wax flew straight to her lover's body. Opening his eyes, Eros saw his wife holding a knife in his hand, and, shocked by such betrayal, flew away from her.
Final story
God Eros was very offended by the girl and for a long time did not appear in front of her. Separation tore the heart of Psyche to pieces, so she decided to find her lover herself. And then Aphrodite came into play. Driven by a thirst for revenge, she tricked the girl down to the Underworld and found the box of Persephone there.
Psyche coped with all the tasks of Aphrodite, but, opening the ill-fated drawer, fell asleep in a dead sleep. Fortunately, Eros found out about this and saved her by injections with his arrow. After that, he turned to Zeus himself for help. The supreme god was in a good mood and agreed to reconcile his mother with his daughter-in-law. Subsequently, he gave Psyche his blessing and made one of the immortal goddesses of Olympus.