Psyche (mythology)
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Psyche is a mortal woman in Greek mythology. She was the wife of Eros and the mother of Hedone.
[change] Legend of Psyche
According to a story written by Lucius Apuleius in the 2nd century.
Psyche was not a natural-born goddess. She was the daughter of a king and queen. When Psyche grew up she was so beautiful and graceful that people dared to compare her beauty to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite was thought to be the most beautiful goddess/woman who ever lived, and Psyche made her jealous. All the gods and men who once loved Aphrodite now turned towards Psyche. This made Aphrodite very mad and jealous.
To get rid of Psyche, Aphrodite asked her son Eros to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man on Earth. Eros shoots golden arrows which make people fall in love. He accidentally pricked himself with one of his arrows and fell in love with Psyche himself. He could not bear to do harm to her, so they got married and had a daughter name Hedone (called Voluptas in Roman mythology. Hedone is seen as the personification of lust.
Aphrodite said she would allow the marriage if Psyche could take a challenge and pass. Psyche was supposed to live with her husband without knowing who he was or what he looked like. Psyche's sisters Orotia and Thessela trick her into believing that her husband might be a monster or that he might be cheating on her so she lights a candle and looks at his face and finds out it is Eros. Eros leaves and Psyche meets Aphrodite for the first time.
Aphrodite says Psyche can get her husband back if she completes four tasks. The last one being to retrieve some creme from Hades and bring it back to Aphrodite. Psyche passes these tests with the help of Zeus and ants and she Eros get back together.
