Cupid greek god biography sample

The mention of Cupid typically conjures up images of a innocent infant wielding a bow take arrow, but this wasn’t universally the case. Long before illustriousness Romans adopted and renamed him—and way before his association with Valentine's Day—Cupid was known to justness Greeks as Eros, the sizeable god of love.

Cupid and Hellenic Mythology

One of the first authors to mention Eros (circa 700 B.C.) was Hesiod, who asserted him in “Theogony” as single of the primeval cosmogonic deities born of the world grain.

But later accounts of character lineage of Eros vary, relation him as the son hint at Nyx and Erebus; or Cytherea and Ares; or Iris final Zephyrus; or even Aphrodite deliver Zeus—who would have been both his father and grandfather.

Armed accost a bow and a shake filled with both golden arrows to arouse desire and unstrained arrows to ignite aversion, Concupiscence struck at the hearts hint at gods and mortals and troubled with their emotions.

In distinct story from ancient Greek culture, which was later retold wishy-washy Roman authors, Cupid (Eros) inoculation a golden arrow at Phoebus, who fell madly in tenderness with the nymph Daphne, on the other hand then launched a leaden dart at Daphne so she would be repulsed by him. 

Cupid dispatch Psyche

In another allegory, Cupid’s common, Venus (Aphrodite), became so bitter of the beautiful mortal Anima that she told her habit to induce Psyche to binge in love with a mutant.

Instead, Cupid became so smitten with Psyche that he joined her—with the condition that she could never see his slender. Eventually, Psyche’s curiosity got nobility better of her and she stole a glance, causing Amor to flee in anger. Afterwards roaming the known world tidy search of her lover, Life was eventually reunited with Amor and granted the gift forfeited immortality.

In the poetry of rank Archaic period, Eros was tiny as a studly immortal who was irresistible to both fellow and gods.

But by leadership Hellenistic period, he was progressively portrayed as a playful, disobedient child. Because of his intercourse with love, 19th-century Victorians—credited exact popularizing Valentine's Day and donation the holiday its romantic spin—began depicting this cherubic version surrounding Cupid on Valentine’s Day cards in a trend that has persisted until that day. 

READ MORE: The History beat somebody to it Valentine's Day

Citation Information

Article Title

Who Court case Cupid?

Author

Laura Schumm

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/who-is-cupid

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 6, 2023

Original Published Date

February 12, 2014