Eros

Description[]

Eros is the God of Love and Desire. He is said to be a small, beautiful boy, with white skin and light hair. Eros is usually portrayed as a young boy, but he can also be seen as a handsome young man. He is usually seen in a Greek toga with a bow and arrow, and Eros can also be seen with wings. He can sometimes be seen with a blindfold, and this is because of the reason that love can be blind.

Origin[]

There are a few versions from where Eros originated. Some say that Eros is a primeval god, and was born out of Chaos. In other words, love was born out of Chaos as the Greek god, Eros. Another legend says that Eros was born from Erebus and Nyx. This was according to Aristophanes. A later version says that Ares (God of War) was his father, and Aphrodite (Goddess of Love) was his mother. Another version says that just Aphrodite was his parent.

Family[]

Eros was born out of Chaos, in one version. Eros’ siblings, from his birth of Chaos, are Gaia and Tartarus. In another version of his birth, Ares is Eros’ father and Aphrodite is Eros’ mother. Eros was very loyal to Aphrodite and he always accompanied her. Eros’ siblings, from the birth of Aphrodite and Ares are Harmonia, Anteros, Himeros, Phobos, Adrestia, and Deimos. The woman that Eros was in love with was Psyche. Psyche and Eros had a child, and their daughter’s name was Hedone.

Myths[]

There are a few myths involving Eros. One myth is about Eros’ birth, and the birth of our race. That myth states that at the beginning of life, there was only Chaos, the Abyss, Night, and Darkness. Then, Night laid an egg in Darkness, and from this egg, came the god of love, Eros. Eros had wings and was able to fly. Soon after this, Eros mated with dark Chaos, who also had wings. Later on, our race hatched, and they saw light.

Another myth involves Eros and Psyche. The day Eros fell in love with Psyche, was the day that Aphrodite sent him to injure Psyche with his arrow. Aphrodite was very jealous of Psyche’s beauty, so Aphrodite wanted to make her love the ugliest man on the Earth. Aphrodite then sent Eros to injure Psyche with one of his arrows. When Eros went to shoot Psyche, he saw how beautiful she was, and at that instant, he fell in love with her. Then something unexpected happens; Eros leaves his wife. This was because Psyche betrayed Eros’ trust. This was all because her sister was jealous. After this, Psyche was wandering around the Earth, looking for Eros. She meets Aphrodite, and asks her for help. The only way that Aphrodite would help her, was if she completed many tasks. Psyche completed them all, and Aphrodite helps her. Psyche becomes immortal, so she could then live with her husband. They had a child named Hedone.

Another myth is one that involves Eros, and his brother, Anteros. One day, Aphrodite was realizing that her son, Eros, was not growing or getting any bigger. Aphrodite went to Themis, and told him this. He said that it was because Eros was along, without any siblings. Themis told her that he would start growing, if he had a brother. Later on, Anteros was born, and Themis was right. As soon as Anteros was born, Eros started to increase in size, and strength, too.

Powers[]

Eros is said to shoot golden arrows into both mortals and immortals, and this spreads physical desire. Once the arrow hits the mortal or immortal in the heart, the person falls in love with the first person that they see. The arrows that Eros uses are golden, and have magical powers. Eros doesn’t only have the power to spread physical desire, but he also has the ability to fly. His wings help him fly around and shoot the arrows into people. One of his other powers is strength.

Eros-greek-god — Eros with bow and arrows

Interesting Facts[]

· Eros is said to be the most handsome and youngest of all the gods.

· The Roman name of Eros is Cupid.

· Some of Eros’ symbols are hearts, arrows, bows, and wings.

· His arrows caused pain, not just love and desire.

· Eros was the fourth god to come into existence, according to one myth of his birth.

Works Cited []

"Eros: Greek God of Love." Theoi. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2013. http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Eros.html.

DeTraci Regula. "Eros, Greek God of Love and Passion." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. http://gogreece.about.com/od/greekmythology/a/eros.htm.

"Eros." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros.

Leadbetter, Ron. "Eros." Encyclopedia Mythica. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html.

"Demigods & Spirits » Eros, the Winged God of Love." Eros, the Greek God of Love in Greek Mythology. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. http://www.greek-gods.info/ancient-greek-gods/eros/.

"5 Mythical Greek Gods and Goddesses Comments." BlindLoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. http://www.blindloop.com/index.php/2010/07/5-mythical-greek-gods-and-goddesses/.

"EROS Also Known as EROTES, HIMEROS." Godchecker: Your Guide to the Gods. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/greek-mythology.php?deity=EROS.

Bulfinch, Thomas. Bulfinch's Mythology. New York: Avenel, 1978. Print.