With Valentine’s Day coming up I figured that knowing about Eros is called for. Eros is son of Aphrodite the Greek Goddess of Love and Pleasure and Ares the Greek God of War. He is often referred to as Cupid who is actually his Roman counterpart. He is also often depicted as a cute little cherub angel with a bow and arrow. The bow and arrows is accurate but Eros (and even Cupid) is a full grown, virile male. His wife is Psyche, Goddess of the Soul. Psyche was once a mortal but by proving her love for Eros to his mother Aphrodite, she was reborn a Goddess. They have a daughter named Hedone, the Goddess of Bliss. It is not unheard of for Eros to appear in twos and threes. These are known as Erotes and symbolize the different forms love can take. The each have names, Eros (love and attraction), Himeros (desire) and Pothos (yearning).
Eros, or rather, Cupid has seen a resurgence in popularity in pop culture. He is featured in games such as Smite and TV like in Charmed. He is often in books where love is concerned. He, unfortunately, has not enjoyed the same popularity as his mother Aphrodite but has often enjoyed worshipers of his mother worship him too. Still, the inaccurate depiction of him as a cherub is worshiped on February 14th every year.
What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Have you had a run in with Eros? Let me know in the comments below. Til next week…
