Greek Mythology's Greatest Love Story
Cupid and Psyche
Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,
I have to admit, it’s a little macabre: maybe more like something for Halloween than Valentine’s Day.
If you’re in Dublin, you may already know that there is a chapel in the city which has a somewhat odd claim to fame: the relics of St. Valentine.
Reportedly the remains of the saint, as well as a vessel ‘tinged with his blood’ are contained and kept in a shrine, which visitors are welcome to visit.
As I said, maybe a little more on the ‘Halloween’ side of things.
Of course, the historical St. Valentine was a figure in the Classical world. It is believed that he was martyred in the 3rd century AD for illegally performing Christian weddings under Roman rule.
Moreover, legend has it that before his execution, he became friends with the daughter of the prison guard who was to become his executioner. Before his death, he sent her a letter, which was signed as being “from your Valentine”.
It’s a bit of a melancholy origin for our beloved contemporary traditions: yet not all love stories need end so sadly. While the world of Greek mythology is no stranger to stories about the pains of love, it’s maybe fitting that perhaps the Greeks’ greatest love story is also their most uplifting: that of Cupid and Psyche.
As a myth, its influence is enormous, even helping us define what it means for a story to be known as a love story. It is both a beautiful folktale and a powerful allegory for the trajectory of the soul’s journey through life and love. Moreover, it shows that love is something which endures through many trials, even death.
So maybe there’s something to the stories and the relics of St. Valentine: maybe death really is no obstacle to true, enduring love. After all, as Oscar Wilde once wrote, “the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.”
All the best,
Sean Kelly
Managing Editor
Classical Wisdom
Greek Myth’s Greatest Love Story: Cupid and Psyche
by Ed Whelan
It’s one of the most beautiful tales in all of Greek mythology.
Yet unlike many other ancient legends, this is a romantic tale which has a truly happy ending. It has been enormously influential, and has helped to shape modern romantic literature, and even modern conceptions of love.
Origin of the myth
The main source for this myth is the Metamorphoses by Apuleius, which dates to the second half of the 2nd century AD. The story is narrated by the main character Lucius to a young bride who has been kidnapped by pirates. The story, however, is much older, and there are depictions of Cupid and Psyche in Hellenistic Greek art. Many believe that there are elements taken from ancient Greek mystery religions in the story. These were cults that promised their adherents salvation, and which were popular throughout the Classical era.
The story of Psyche and Eros
Psyche was the daughter of a king and queen, and she was stunningly beautiful. She was so beautiful that she was even compared to some of the goddesses. This drove the goddess of love, Aphrodite (or Venus in Roman narratives), mad with jealousy. She devastated the kingdom of Psyche’s father with a plague. Aphrodite told the king she would only end the plague if he sacrificed Psyche to a sea-monster. The King sadly agreed to this, yet while he was still tying Psyche up, Cupid, the son of Aphrodite, saw her. The winged god fell in love with Psyche immediately and rescued her. He was so enamoured with her that he married her even though she was a mere mortal.
Cupid asked his new love never to look upon him. He could not let a mere mortal see his divine form, as she could be harmed. Despite this, the couple was happy and Cupid was a great husband. Psyche was so happy that she did not ask to see her husband, and had no idea that he was a god. Cupid, as a god, provided his wife with a lavish lifestyle. The two sisters of Psyche heard about this and became incredibly jealous. They began to plant seeds of doubt in Psyche’s mind about her husband. They asked her ‘why would he not let himself be seen?’
Psyche could no longer restrain herself, and one night when her husband was sleeping, she brought a candle into the darkened bed-chamber. Psyche was transfixed by her husband and his otherworldly good looks. Cupid woke up to see his wife standing over him. She had disobeyed him and in a rage, he flew away.
He returned to his mother, who had always hated Psyche, and been opposed to their marriage. Psyche was disconsolate and she vowed to do all she could to win her husband back.
With great bravery, Psyche approached Aphrodite and asked her how she could win her husband back. Aphrodite decided to torment her and set her four tasks. If Psyche could complete these tasks, then she would help her to become reconciled with Cupid. Thanks to her ingenuity, she was able to accomplish the first three tasks without difficulty, but the last task was by far the most challenging.
Aphrodite asked Psyche to descend to the underworld and to retrieve Persephone’s special beauty ointment. This was, of course, impossible for a mortal. However, Psyche went to a speaking tower who told her how to evade Charon and Cerberus and enter the realm of the dead unscathed. The voice from the tower also told her how to approach Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld. She was successful and she managed to get the magical cream. Psyche became curious and wondered what the cream would do for her—would it make her perfect? She opened the box, and when she did, she immediately fell into a deathlike slumber. Cupid heard of this and he immediately went to help his beloved.
Marriage of Cupid and Psyche
Cupid flew to Zeus (or Jupiter in Latin sources) on Olympus, and asked him to intervene. Zeus convened an assembly of the Gods and they decided that Aphrodite had been too harsh. Zeus agreed to bring Psyche back to life and allow her to enter Olympus and drink ambrosia, which would make her immortal. Psyche became a goddess, and she and her husband had a daughter, Voluptas, who became the goddess of pleasure. The marriage of Psyche and Cupid became a favorite topic of Classical and later Renaissance artists.
The meaning of the myth
It is widely believed that the myth is an allegory. Psyche was regarded as the personification of the soul. Many believe that it shows how the soul can fall to its death by engaging in sexual love, represented by Cupid. The moral of the story was believed to be the dangers of excessive passion and sexuality. There are, of course other interpretations of the myth: one is that it represents the story of the soul’s death and resurrection. This was a central aspect of the mystery religions of the ancient Greeks, such as Orphism.
The myth was adapted by many poets and writers. Over the centuries, it has inspired many writers to compose romantic love stories. The elements of the myth, including the separation of young lovers and their eventual reunification, has been repeated in countless love stories. In this way, the myth has been crucial in the construction of modern ideas about romantic love.
"Aphrodite asked Psyche to descend to the underworld and to retrieve Persephone’s special beauty ointment. This was, of course, impossible for a mortal".
Yeah, I begin to have doubts about the impossibility of that task; with all these people going back and forth to the underworld -- Heracles, Theseus, Odysseus, Orpheus, Aeneas, Psyche, if not others -- it might not be as tricky as 'advertised'. Hell, one can also bring in Gilgamesh, Dante... Jesus, I guess (?).
I first read this in Apuleius’ The Golden Ass. I was struck by the themes of a mysticism of darkness and Cupid’s form remaining hidden from his beloved Psyche. This reminded me of the dark night theology of much Christian contemplative literature such as John of the Cross. I was struck by the beauty of the myth and the universality of mystical experience.