Armed with a powerful bow and a collection of threatening arrows, Cupid was the Roman god of love who was constantly affecting the emotions of his many fellow gods. Originally the mythology associated with Cupid was from the Greeks. “The god the Romans knew as Cupid was adapted from the Greek god, Eros.”1 On any occasion, whenever one was struck with one of Cupid’s golden arrows one would fall in love with whomever Cupid wanted. However, if one were struck by an arrow made out of lead, one would be repulsed by whoever Cupid decided.
One of the most acknowledged myths about Cupid, written by Apuleius in his Metamorphoses, involved the mortal princess Psyche. There are many other versions of this story, and in most of these Cupid is portrayed to be a passionate lover. “Cupid and Psyche, is … a tale of the quest for divine knowledge and the failings of the human spirit.”2 When Venus, Cupid’s mother, first met Psyche, who was a beautiful young woman, she realized how jealous she was of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to use his arrows to ruin her love life. Venus demanded that Cupid shoot Psyche with an arrow, so that when he strikes Psyche she must be looking “toward a creature so hideous that mortals will be filled with loathing.”3 While Cupid was getting ready to strike her, he became fascinated by her elegance; he lost hold of his arrow and ended up hitting his leg. From this moment forward he did whatever he could to make sure that she would be his forever. Zephyrus, god of the west winds, came as an accomplice to help Cupid. They took her to a grove of trees, which she saw as a superior palace. After entering this lavish but skimpy palace, a voice invited her to eat in what was said to be her new home.4 She received noticed that her supposed morbid lover would be there to meet her at nightfall. The voice declared “I am your husband. I will visit with you every evening but, unfortunately, I must leave before the first sign of morning. Never, ever ask or try to see me!”5
For a while Psyche was satisfied with this platonic love with Cupid, not knowing who he was, but simply believing he was her destined lover.6 Although she became accustomed to this new lifestyle, she found herself missing her family. Cupid, her after-dark lover, granted her permission to have her sisters join her.7 Unfortunately, rather than being grateful to see their sister, they were overly jealous and planted ideas in Psyche’s head to trick her unknown lover.8 “They suggest that her lover is a serpent who changes into the form of a youth at night, a monster who will at last devour her.”9 They told her to have a knife and lamp with her while she was sleeping so that when he came for his nightly visit she would be able to slay him as he sleeps.
Naively, Psyche prepared herself to see a man who she had fallen hopeless for. Ready to strike him, she brought the lamp close enough to see him.10 When she looked at this beautiful young man, she became defenseless. He awoke to see her paralyzed by what she had seen. “With the warning that love cannot live with suspicion, he leaves the palace.”11 Psyche woke up to find that the palace had been dispersed, and she went to search for her forbidden lover. Cupid decided to take his anger out on her sisters by leading them to “the arms of Death to welcome them.”12 While Psyche searched for some answers, she was turned away by everyone, finding herself confronted by Venus. Instead of Venus killing Psyche, she decided that the best thing to do would be to keep her as a slave.13
In order for Venus not to kill Psyche, she decided to let her live only by having her complete a new task for her everyday. “Psyche’s first task is to sort a huge pile of mixed seeds and grain into separate heaps, with the warning that if there is so much as one seed in the wrong pile she will be punished.”14 Psyche took forever to complete this tedious task; so Cupid decided to intervene, and he demanded a myriad of ants to finish it off for her. For whatever odd reason, she was asked to put together a golden fleece for Venus from all of her sheep. Psyche was frighten to attempt this in the daylight, so she stayed up until all had fallen asleep.15 After having succeeded at that task, Psyche was then challenged to go the river that flowed around the mischievous underworld, to fill up a jug with black water. Cleverly, Cupid came to rescue his mortal princess, and had an eagle fly to get and bring back the water for her. Venus accepted the water but planned that her next task would be to kill Psyche by having her travel to the land of the dead. She was told that she needed to acquire a bit of the dazzling goddess Proserpine in a golden box. Venus made a compromise that if she completed this task, already knowing Psyche would not survive it, she would treat her better in the future. Psyche realized that this task was an impossible one, and despairing, she decided to commit suicide. Before doing this, a voice told her that there was a way for her to complete this unattainable task.16
Believing this voice that had guided her in the past, she attempted to accomplish the task. She followed all the steps she was given.17 Thinking she would be able to obtain whatever remained in the box, she decided to open it. Needless to say, she ended up falling into an unconscious sleep brimming with nightmares.18 Without Cupid coming to her rescue, she could have been trapped in her sleep, tormented, forever.
After having sent Psyche with the box to his mother, Cupid then began to beg with Jupiter for Psyche to be made immortal.19 Jupiter decided to let Psyche join them in this immortal world, once hearing Cupid’s petition. There she drank a cup of ambrosia that Jupiter handed her, and became an immortal goddess.20
It was only then that Cupid and Psyche were able to remain unified for an eternal life together.
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2016, s.v. “Cupid (Mythology),” by Janine Ungvarsky. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature, 2015, s.v. “Cupid and Psyche,” by T. Fleischmann Mfa. ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature, 2015, s.v. “Cupid and Psyche,” by T. Fleischmann Mfa. ↵
- Rosalie F. Baker “What if the Goddess of Love was your mother-in-law?,” Calliope vol. 23 no. 3 (Nov/Dec 2012): 19. ↵
- S. Parker and P. Murgatroyd, “Love Poetry and Apuleius’ ‘Cupid and Psyche,’” The Classical Quarterly 52, no. 1 (2002): 402. ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- Rosalie F. Baker “What if the Goddess of Love was your mother-in-law?,” Calliope vol. 23 no. 3 (Nov/Dec 2012): 20. ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature, 2015, s.v. “Cupid and Psyche,” by T. Fleischmann Mfa. ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- Rosalie F. Baker “What if the Goddess of Love was your mother-in-law?,” Calliope vol. 23 no. 3 (Nov/Dec 2012): 22. ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature, 2015, s.v. “Cupid and Psyche,” by T. Fleischmann Mfa . ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- E. N. Genovese, “Cupid and Psyche,” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, 2. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature, 2015, s.v. “Cupid and Psyche,” by T. Fleischmann Mfa . ↵
- Kirsten Hall, “‘It Is All One’: Hetty Sorrel and the Myth of Cupid and Psyche,” Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature 67, no. 4 (Fall 2015): 289. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature, 2015 “Cupid and Psyche,” by T. Fleischmann Mfa. ↵
122 comments
Natalia Zuniga
I always knew that Cupids arrow could make you love someone, great to find out he could also make you be repulsed by someone he shot at. I had also never heard of the love story he had. It is a charming one that showed how much the gods carried for their people and that they had feeling just as humans did.
Nicolas McKay
That had to be the craziest love story I have ever read before. Everyone knows who cupid is, but I for one did not know his actual story. It was very interesting reading the many lengths he went to to be with Psyche. This article also makes me wonder if this character is where we got the word psyche from. I certainly understand why this article earned as many awards and nominations as it did, it was a fantastic read.
Anayeli Prieto
First of all I’d like to start off by saying that this is a very interesting article. Who would’ve known the Cupid we know today as the distributor of love was once used for vengeance against jealousy. And the ending being in the suicide due to lack of accomplishments in a task that would attempt to murder someone else is also very astonishing and surprising.
Gabriela Medrano
Wow! I loved the article, very interesting love story. Now I will think of Cupid as a grown and handsome God instead of this chubby, pink cheeked angel who wears diapers. I was not aware of the story behind Cupid’s ability to make people fall in love and how he had this lover of hers but oh so hidden. What a way to fall in love, he does kill off her sister which was a total plot twist. The reason I chose to read it was its title and the article most definitely satisfied my expectation’s of what I came for so well done!
Elizabeth Garibay
AMAZING article! Love makes the world go round and this as beautiful to read. Throughout my life i had only read and known Cupid shooting arrows at people and spreading love but it was interesting to read about him falling in love. He did all that he did because he loved her ! I expected this story to be sad and disappointing but I was pleased that in the end Cupid was able to have his continues love. This article was well written and eye-catching. Well done!
Mariana Govea
Wow! What another crazy story!! I had always heard of Cupid as the angel that was in charge of spreading love but not as the angel who shot arrows of steel to prevent somebody from falling in love or from happiness! That is crazy to know that Cupid had the power of both! As well as I had never heard this story of him falling in love with another mythological creature, since we always hear of him being the one to help other people fall in love! However it is so ironic how even though he was the God in charge of helping people fall in love its so sad how he himself was not able to make himself happy in that aspect of love!! Very well organized and great research on his background and his love story!
Alyssa Valdez
I have always been in love with Greek mythology and I found this story so interesting! I find it so funny that gods always seemed to be jealous of mortals when I listen to these stories. I also didn’t know their was so much more background to Cupid other then being someone who shot arrows of love. Thank you for sharing this story! It was very well written and I can tell you worked hard on it.
Ana Gonzalez
I’ve only heard about Cupid shooting arrows at people and spreading love but it was interesting to read about him falling in love. I expected this story to be tragic but I was pleased that in the end Cupid was able to have his eternal love. This story also conveys that even gods like Cupid can love. This article was well-researched and you did a great job in writing and developing the story. Well done!
Mario De Leon
This was a very interesting article. The introduction to the article provides good background information on Cupid. I did not know that Cupid was a Greek God or that he had a lead arrow that made people repulse each other. The story of Cupid and Psyche was very descriptive. I had never heard the story of Cupid and Psyche but it is easy to see why Cupid is the God of love after reading it.
Aaron Jaramillo
Great article. I was intrigued from the beginning, you did a great job with all the details of the love story. How hilarious that Cupid shot himself in the leg. I find it interesting that even Cupid, the God of Love, did all he did like almost everyone does for love. Great read and great job on writing your article. This has been my most favorite read so far. Again, well done!