Description
Eros was the son of Aphrodite and Ares, depicted as a winged boy manipulating human emotions with golden (love) and leaden (repulsion) arrows. According to myths, Eros remained a small boy and began to grow up only after the birth of his brother Anteros, the god of reciprocated love. Whenever the brothers were together, Eros flourished, but when separated, he regressed back to being a child, symbolizing that love without reciprocation cannot grow internally. The only coherent story that forms the core of Eros’s biography is his fateful relationship with the mortal princess Psyche, the embodiment of the human soul. Although the jealous Aphrodite ordered her son to destroy Psyche, Eros fell head over heels in love with her and hid her in his luxurious palace. He visited her only in absolute darkness, but Psyche succumbed to curiosity, lit an oil lamp at night and a drop of hot oil burned the sleeping god. Betrayed, Eros flew away and Psyche had to undergo cruel initiatory tasks, including a descent into the underworld. After she overcame this crisis of trust, Eros forgave her, the supreme god Zeus granted Psyche immortality, and a magnificent wedding took place on Mount Olympus. From this union, a daughter, Hedone (Delight and Pleasure), was born, symbolically concluding Eros’s life journey – the mystical union of Love and Soul gave rise to lasting joy.
