Discover who Eros, the God of Love in Greek Mythology, was with our company. Learn about his powers and most legendary relationships.
God Eros
Eros , known as Cupid by the Romans, was the Greek god of sexual attraction, a constant companion of Aphrodite. Often depicted as a beautiful young man or a mischievous naked boy, he is most commonly represented with a bow and an unlimited number of arrows, which he uses to dominate reason and incite erotic feelings in any mortal or god, either for Aphrodite or for his own desire. Once, however, he accidentally scratched himself with an arrow, and that is how he fell in love with Psyche, who would later become his wife for all eternity.
Who was Eros?
In Greek religion, he was the god of love. In Hesiod’s Theogony (700 BC), he was a primitive god, son of Chaos, the original void of the universe, but later tradition made him the son of Aphrodite, goddess of love and sexual beauty, either by Zeus (king of the gods), Ares (god of war and battle), or Hermes (divine messenger of the gods). He was a god not only of passion but also of fertility. His brother was Anteros, the god of mutual love, who was sometimes described as his opponent. His main associates were Pothos and Himeros (Longing and Desire).
Family
There are numerous different versions of Eros’ paternity, and it seems that even the authors of Ancient Greece were aware of this, so some have even postulated the existence of at least two different Eroses.
Eros as a Primordial Cosmic Force
The first of these is the Eros of Hesiod, a primordial being, “the most beautiful of the immortal gods,” one of the first deities to emerge. In this story, Eros was the son of Chaos and the brother of Gaia, Tartarus, Erebus, and Nyx. A universal cosmic force, he became the companion of Aphrodite shortly after her birth, whom he had previously watched over.
Eros as one of the erotic children of Aphrodite and Ares
However, possibly due to the fact that he was constantly accompanying the goddess of love, later authors reimagined him as one of the many sons of Aphrodite and Ares. In this case, there are at least three other winged gods of love like him, all of them his brothers: Anteros, Pothos, and Himeros. Together, they are often referred to as the Erotes.
Eros as the son of Zephyrus and Iris
A less famous tradition dating back to Alcaeus, one of the nine most famous Greek lyric poets, makes Eros the son of Zephyrus, the West Wind, and Iris, the messenger of the gods.
Eros in Worship
Finally, in Aristophanes’ version of the Creation, heavily influenced by the Orphic religion, Eros is born winged and golden from an egg laid by Nyx (Night) in Erebus (Darkness).
Representation
In Greek art, he was portrayed as a beautiful young man (in the early days) or as a mischievous child (in Hellenistic times and later). The famous playwright Euripides was the first author to describe him as someone with a bow and a quiver full of inevitable arrows, two attributes that have since been engraved in our collective imagination.
Myths of Eros
What is less well known is that Eros’ quiver supposedly contained two different types of arrows. The first are the most famous ones that ignited love; these were sharp and tipped with gold. However, he was also able to use another type of broken, lead-tipped arrows, which made anyone shot by them immune to the advances of love.
Once, after Apollo mocked his abilities, he demonstrated his power by shooting the god with a gold-tipped arrow while striking Daphne, Apollo’s love interest, with a lead-tipped arrow. In this way, Apollo ended up pining for the forestnymph, while she remained untouched by his advances.
Eros and Psyche
Once, however, he got a taste of his own medicine. Aphrodite, jealous that Psyche had hundreds of suitors, ordered him to make the mortal girl fall in love with the ugliest creature on the planet. He flew to earth to fulfill the mission, but instead of shooting Psyche, he accidentally pricked himself with his arrows. The result? For once, he was the only one in love.
So, with the help of Zephyr, the West Wind, Eros arranged secret meetings with Psyche, loving her night after night in a sacred grove isolated in the privacy of total darkness. Psyche’s jealous and somewhat curious sisters convince her to find out who her secret lover is, so one night she lights a candle and discovers Eros’ identity. The god flees, feeling betrayed and enraged.
Psyche, on the other hand, feels heartbroken and inconsolable. So she begins to wander aimlessly and beg the gods to give her a chance to win back Eros’ love. In the end, after performing a series of almost impossible tasks set by Aphrodite, she regains the trust of the goddess and of him. Voluptas, the goddess of sensual pleasure, will be born from the marriage of Eros and Psyche.
Sources
Read two different stories about the birth of the primordial Eros in Hesiod’s “Theogony” and Aristophanes’ “The Birds.” The story of Eros and Psyche is told in one of Europe’s first novels, Apuleius’ “The Golden Ass.” It is not surprising that the debilitating effects of Eros’ arrows on mortals and gods were one of the most beloved poetic themes in ancient Greece and Rome, and memorable descriptions can be found in numerous poems and fragments by Sappho, Alcaeus, Anacreon, Ibycus, Horace, etc.
Later writers assumed the existence of a number of erotic figures (such as the various versions of Cupid). In Alexandrian poetry, he degenerated into a mischievous child. In Archaic art, he was depicted as a beautiful winged youth but tended to become younger and younger until, in the Hellenistic period, he was a child. His main center of worship was in Thespiae in Boeotia, where the Erotidia was celebrated. He also shared a sanctuary with Aphrodite on the north wall of the Acropolis in Athens.
