Eros’ Arrows: The Story of Cupid

People around the world are familiar with Valentine’s Day and its symbols: candy hearts, the color pink, boxes of chocolates, and of course, the winged baby Cupid. Aside from the fact that he’s a Cherub who shoots love-inflicting arrows at the hearts of people young and old, most people are unaware of his rich history. Fortunately, the Catholic Chronicle is here to inform.

Cupid originates from the Greek god Eros, the god of carnal love. He is the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Ares, the god of war. Eros appears in myths as Aphrodite’s means of bestowing love. Some of Eros’ most famous roles in mythology include making Medea fall in love with Jason, making Narcissus fall in love with his reflection, and making Dido fall in love with Aeneas in the Aeneid.

Eros’ most famous role in a myth is his role in the myth of Psyche, hailed as the most beautiful woman on earth. This praise earned her the ire of Aphrodite, who ordered her son to make Psyche fall in love with a monster. As Eros tries to follow his mother’s order, he accidentally pricks himself with one of his arrows, causing him to fall in love with Psyche. 

In order to protect his love from Aphrodite, Eros whisks her away to an opulent gold palace, far from any harm. Psyche is pleased with her new life, since she will have to love a monster. Eros’ only condition is that she must never see his face, so she could never know who he was. 

Psyche keeps this promise for some time, but eventually becomes paranoid, thinking the reason her husband does not want her to see his face is that he is a monster. To ease her mind, Psyche sneaks into Eros’ room one night with a candle to see his face. Upon seeing that her husband is the god of love, she gasps in joy, which wakes Eros up. Seeing what he thought of as betrayal, Eros leaves Psyche, who begs Aphrodite to bring him back. Aphrodite, still bitter, sadistically gives Psyche grueling and impossible tasks, falsely motivating her with the promise of her son’s return. Eros, seeing the way his bride is treated, rescues Psyche and has Zeus make her immortal so they can live together on Mount Olympus, the home of the gods.

Eros was eventually integrated into Roman culture and mythology, where he was renamed Cupid. The Romans, fearful of a god who controls the most powerful emotion, symbolically limited his power by depicting him as a child, as opposed to a handsome young man. When Europe adopted classical art styles in the Renaissance, this was by far the most popular depiction of Cupid.

People thought Cupid fit well with Valentine’s Day, which had existed as a holiday for a century or two prior, but really started gaining popularity at the time. This revival of classical mythology is why we associate Cupid with Valentine’s Day. 

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