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Currently working on sourcing information and adding citations. I cannot find a reputable source that refers to Psyche as the "Greek goddess of the soul," but feel free to source and reverse my edits if you find one.
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{{Short description|Wife of Cupid}}
{{Short description|Ancient Greek goddess of the soul}}
{{Other uses|Psyche (disambiguation)}}
{{Other uses|Psyche (disambiguation)}}
{{multiple issues|
{{multiple issues|
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{{More footnotes needed|date=January 2022}}}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=January 2022}}}}
{{Infobox deity
{{Infobox deity
| type = Roman
| type = Greek
| name = Psyche
| name = Psyche
| image = Pietro Tenerani (1789-1869) Psiche abbandonata (modello, 1816).jpg
| image = Pietro Tenerani (1789-1869) Psiche abbandonata (modello, 1816).jpg
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = ''Psyche Abandoned'' by [[Pietro Tenerani]]
| caption = ''Psyche Abandoned'' by [[Pietro Tenerani]]
| god_of = Wife of [[Cupid]]
| god_of = Goddess of the soul
| abode = [[Mount Olympus]]
| abode =
| symbol = Butterfly wings
| symbol = Butterfly wings
| consort = [[Cupid]]
| parents = Unnamed king and queen<ref>The following summary is condensed from the translation of Kenney (Cambridge University Press, 1990), and the revised translation of W. Adlington by S. Gaseless for the [[Loeb Classical Library]] (Harvard University Press, 1915), with reference to the accompanying Latin text.</ref>
| parents = Unnamed king and queen<ref>The following summary is condensed from the translation of Kenney (Cambridge University Press, 1990), and the revised translation of W. Adlington by S. Gaseless for the [[Loeb Classical Library]] (Harvard University Press, 1915), with reference to the accompanying Latin text.</ref>
| siblings = (sisters) Aglaura and Cidippe<ref>The Fable Of The Goddess Psyche And Cupid</ref>
| siblings = (sisters) Aglaura and Cidippe<ref>The Fable Of The Goddess Psyche And Cupid</ref>
| children = Pleasure
| children = [[Hedone]]
| spouse = [[Cupid]]
| mount =
}}
}}


'''Psyche''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|aɪ|k|iː}};<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120822210314/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/psyche Oxford dictionary]</ref> {{langx|el|Ψυχή|Psykhḗ}} {{IPA|grc|psyːkʰɛ̌ː|lang|link=yes}}; {{IPA|el|psiˈçi}}) is the [[Greek mythology|Greek goddess]] of the [[soul]] and often represented as a beautiful woman with [[butterfly]] wings.<ref>Charles Garnier's Opéra: Architecture and Interior Decor, Gérard Fontaine, 2004, p. 132.</ref> The name Psyche means "soul" in Greek<ref>{{Cite web |title=CPAS Butterfly |url=https://www.cpascounseling.com/our_Butterfly/default.html |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=www.cpascounseling.com}}</ref> and was commonly referred to as such in [[Roman mythology]] as well, though the direct translation is ''[[Anima (disambiguation)|Anima]]'' ([[Latin]] word for "soul").<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=English-Latin translation :: soul :: Dictionary |url=https://www.translate-latin.com/en/dictionary-english-latin/soul |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=translate-latin.com |language=en}}</ref> She was born a mortal woman and eventually granted immortality, with beauty that rivaled even [[Aphrodite]], goddess of love.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Psyche - Goddess of the Soul • Facts and Information on the God Psyche - Goddess of the Soul |url=https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/psyche/ |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Greek Gods & Goddesses |language=en-US}}</ref> Psyche is known from the novel ''[[The Golden Ass]]'', also known as ''Metamorphoses,'' written by the Roman philosopher and orator [[Apuleius]] in the [[2nd century]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Golden Ass {{!}} Roman Novel, Satire, Lucius {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Golden-Ass |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> In the myth, she was given multiple trials to be with her beloved, [[Cupid]] (the Roman counterpart of the Greek [[Eros]]), god of physical love and desire and son of [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]].<ref name=":3" /> The cultural influences of Psyche's story are depicted in art dating back to the 4th century BCE.
'''Psyche''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|aɪ|k|iː}};<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120822210314/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/psyche Oxford dictionary]</ref> {{langx|el|Ψυχή|Psykhḗ}} {{IPA|grc|psyːkʰɛ̌ː|lang|link=yes}}; {{IPA|el|psiˈçi}}) is the immortal wife of [[Cupid]], Roman god of erotic love and desire. She is often represented as a beautiful woman with [[butterfly]] wings.


⚫
== In (Metamorphosis - The Golden Ass) ==
Psyche is known from the [[Ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] proto-novel ''[[The Golden Ass]]'' (also known as the ''Metamorphoses''), written by [[Philosophy|philosopher]] and [[orator]] [[Apuleius]] in the [[2nd century]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Golden Ass {{!}} Roman Novel, Satire, Lucius {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Golden-Ass |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> In the story, when Psyche violates the trust of her new husband, Cupid, she must endure multiple trials at the hand of his mother, [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]], to win him back. At the conclusion of her trials, the couple is reconciled and married, and Psyche is made immortal. Though ''The Golden Ass'' is the only existing version of Psyche's story from [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]], the cultural influences of the narrative are depicted in art dating back to the 4th century BCE.
''[[The Golden Ass]]'' was written in Latin in the 2nd century CE by [[Apuleius]].<ref name=":3" /> The novel consists of eleven books, mainly surrounding a man named Lucius. Lucius, dabbling in magic, attempts to turn into a bird, but after the spell goes wrong, turns himself into a donkey and goes on a journey where he eventually is restored to human form with the help of the goddess [[Isis]]'''.'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=episode_073_the_golden_age |url=https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-073-the-golden-age |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=literatureandhistory.com}}</ref> Along the way, he hears many stories, including tales about [[Socrates]] and the endeavors of a group of bandits. The biggest, most notable story Lucius hears on his journey is about [[Cupid and Psyche|Psyche and Cupid]]’s love story, spanning books 4-6.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Mark |first=Harrison W. |title=Psyche |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Psyche/ |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=World History Encyclopedia |language=en}}</ref>

== Name ==
Psyche (Ψυχή) has [[Greek language|Greek]] origins, and is commonly translated as "[[soul]]," "life," and "spirit."<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott |title=A Greek-English Lexicon, ψυ_χ-ή |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=yuxh/&highlight=psyche |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> [[Homer]]'s usage of the word is often translated as "[[ghost]]" (''psukhê'') and is used to refer to the departed souls that [[Odysseus]] meets in the ''[[Odyssey]]''.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:tlg,0012,002:11&lang=original&highlight=ghost 11]. "The first ghost [psukhê] that came was that of my comrade Elpenor, for he had not yet been laid beneath the earth."</ref> It can also be translated as "[[butterfly]]" or "[[moth]]" (''psukhai'').<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-21 |title=Definition of PSYCHE |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psyche |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref> Its relationship with the word ''psȳ́chein'' ("to blow," "to breathe," "life-breath") is disputed, and it is unknown if psyche is a derivative.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dictionary.com {{!}} Definition of Psyche |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/psyche |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":02" />

⚫
== ''The Golden Ass'' ==
''[[The Golden Ass]]'' was written in [[Latin]] in the 2nd century CE by [[Apuleius]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleischmann |first=T. |title=Cupid and Psyche |url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/cupid-and-psyche |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=www.ebsco.com |language=en}}</ref> The story follows its protagonist, Lucius, who is accidentally transformed into a [[donkey]] after experimenting with magic. Along his journey, he is told multiple stories, one of which is the [[Cupid and Psyche]] episode, spanning Books 4-6. While the exact origin of this story is unclear, it was likely borrowed from a now-lost Greek work. Potential sources and inspirations have been named as [[Lucian]],<ref>{{cite book |author=Harrison, S. J. |title=Apuleius: A Latin Sophist |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-927138-2 |edition=paperback |location=Oxford |pages=9–10 |orig-year=2000}}</ref> Lucius of [[Patras|Patrae]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Golden Ass {{!}} Roman Novel, Satire, Lucius {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Golden-Ass |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Milesian tale|Aristides]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Graverini |first=Luca |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/30/oa_monograph/book/23960/pdf |title=Literature and Identity in the Golden Ass of Apuleius |date=2012 |publisher=Ohio State University Press |others=Benjamin Todd Lee |isbn=978-0-8142-7026-4 |location=Columbus |pages=47-49 |chapter=Chapter One: A Sweet Poetics}}</ref> or another unknown author.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Apuleius |url=https://ia601200.us.archive.org/15/items/TheGoldenAss_201509/TheGoldenAsspenguinClassics-Apuleius.pdf |title=The Golden Ass, or, Metamorphoses |last2=Kenney |first2=E. J. |date=1998 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-043590-0 |series=Penguin classics |location=London ; New York |chapter=Introduction, Section 4}}</ref>


== Mythology ==
== Mythology ==
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In an unnamed kingdom, a king and queen had three beautiful daughters. The youngest, Psyche, possessed beauty that surpassed that of her sisters which resulted in those around her, including priests, comparing her to [[Aphrodite]] (referred to as [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] in ''The Golden Ass'').<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Golden Asse, by Lucius Apuleius |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1666/1666-h/1666-h.htm |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=www.gutenberg.org}}</ref> Many went to the extent of saying that she was even fairer than the goddess herself. In other iterations, she is not compared to Aphrodite but mistaken for her.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Webber |first=Kelly |date=Spring–Summer 2022 |title=Being Psyche |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48659530 |journal=Mythopoeic Society |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=29–38 |jstor=48659530 }}</ref>
In an unnamed kingdom, a king and queen had three beautiful daughters. The youngest, Psyche, possessed beauty that surpassed that of her sisters which resulted in those around her, including priests, comparing her to [[Aphrodite]] (referred to as [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] in ''The Golden Ass'').<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Golden Asse, by Lucius Apuleius |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1666/1666-h/1666-h.htm |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=www.gutenberg.org}}</ref> Many went to the extent of saying that she was even fairer than the goddess herself. In other iterations, she is not compared to Aphrodite but mistaken for her.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Webber |first=Kelly |date=Spring–Summer 2022 |title=Being Psyche |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48659530 |journal=Mythopoeic Society |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=29–38 |jstor=48659530 }}</ref>


Psyche's beauty attracted people from all over distant lands to give gifts and offerings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Myth of Eros and Psyche - Greek Myths {{!}} Greeka |url=https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/eros-psyche/ |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=Greekacom |language=en}}</ref> When Aphrodite's temples were neglected as a result, the goddess was outraged a mortal was being worshiped over her. As punishment, Aphrodite sent her son, Eros, to make the girl fall in love with a vile and hideous monster, as he could make anyone fall in love with the strike of his arrows.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EROS - Greek God of Love (Roman Cupid, Amor) |url=https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Eros.html |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=www.theoi.com}}</ref> Cupid did as he was asked by approaching Psyche as she slept and touching her with one of his arrows. Psyche awoke, and although she did not see him because he was invisible, Cupid accidentally wounded himself with his own arrow and fell in love with her.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Mark |first=Harrison W. |title=Psyche |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Psyche/ |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=World History Encyclopedia |language=en}}</ref>
Psyche's beauty attracted people from all over distant lands to give gifts and offerings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Myth of Eros and Psyche - Greek Myths {{!}} Greeka |url=https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/eros-psyche/ |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=Greekacom |language=en}}</ref> When Aphrodite's temples were neglected as a result, the goddess was outraged a mortal was being worshiped over her. As punishment, Aphrodite sent her son, Eros, to make the girl fall in love with a vile and hideous monster, as he could make anyone fall in love with the strike of his arrows.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EROS - Greek God of Love (Roman Cupid, Amor) |url=https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Eros.html |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=www.theoi.com}}</ref> Cupid did as he was asked by approaching Psyche as she slept and touching her with one of his arrows. Psyche awoke, and although she did not see him because he was invisible, Cupid accidentally wounded himself with his own arrow and fell in love with her.<ref name=":4" />


Meanwhile, both of her elder sisters were jealous of her beauty. Still, they eventually went on to marry kings<ref>{{Cite web |title=Master of the Die {{!}} Plate 3: Psyche's two sisters are married to kings, with Psyche standing at left, accompanied by another king, from "The Story of Cupid and Psyche as told by Apuleius" |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/652841 |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |language=en}}</ref> and left to be with their husbands. Although everyone kept admiring Psyche's beauty, it became apparent that she couldn't find a suitor because they were happy to merely worship her instead of asking her hand in marriage{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} The king and queen, deeply disturbed by this, decided to consult the [[Pythia|Oracle of Delphi]], also known as Pythia<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Psyche - Goddess of the Soul • Facts and Information on the God Psyche - Goddess of the Soul |url=https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/psyche/ |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Greek Gods & Goddesses |language=en-US}}</ref> at the [[Temple of Apollo (Delphi)|Temple of Apollo]] for answers. [[Apollo]], speaking through the Oracle, said "Despair, king. Your daughter will marry a beast even the gods fear. Dress her in funeral clothes and take her to the tallest rock spire in the kingdom. There, she shall meet her doom."<ref name=":2" /> The king returned heartbroken but obeyed the god's orders.
Meanwhile, both of her elder sisters were jealous of her beauty. Still, they eventually went on to marry kings<ref>{{Cite web |title=Master of the Die {{!}} Plate 3: Psyche's two sisters are married to kings, with Psyche standing at left, accompanied by another king, from "The Story of Cupid and Psyche as told by Apuleius" |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/652841 |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |language=en}}</ref> and left to be with their husbands. Although everyone kept admiring Psyche's beauty, it became apparent that she couldn't find a suitor because they were happy to merely worship her instead of asking her hand in marriage{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} The king and queen, deeply disturbed by this, decided to consult the [[Pythia|Oracle of Delphi]], also known as Pythia<ref name=":3" /> at the [[Temple of Apollo (Delphi)|Temple of Apollo]] for answers. [[Apollo]], speaking through the Oracle, said "Despair, king. Your daughter will marry a beast even the gods fear. Dress her in funeral clothes and take her to the tallest rock spire in the kingdom. There, she shall meet her doom."<ref name=":2" /> The king returned heartbroken but obeyed the god's orders.


=== Marriage to Cupid ===
=== Marriage to Cupid ===

Revision as of 22:36, 1 July 2025

For other uses, see Psyche (disambiguation).
Psyche
Goddess of the soul
Psyche Abandoned by Pietro Tenerani
SymbolButterfly wings
Genealogy
ParentsUnnamed king and queen[2]
Siblings(sisters) Aglaura and Cidippe[1]
ConsortCupid
ChildrenHedone

Psyche (/ˈsaɪkiː/;[3] Greek: Ψυχή, romanized: Psykhḗ Ancient Greek: [psyːkʰɛ̌ː]; Greek pronunciation: [psiˈçi]) is the Greek goddess of the soul and often represented as a beautiful woman with butterfly wings.[4] The name Psyche means "soul" in Greek[5] and was commonly referred to as such in Roman mythology as well, though the direct translation is Anima (Latin word for "soul").[6] She was born a mortal woman and eventually granted immortality, with beauty that rivaled even Aphrodite, goddess of love.[7] Psyche is known from the novel The Golden Ass, also known as Metamorphoses, written by the Roman philosopher and orator Apuleius in the 2nd century.[8] In the myth, she was given multiple trials to be with her beloved, Cupid (the Roman counterpart of the Greek Eros), god of physical love and desire and son of Venus.[7] The cultural influences of Psyche's story are depicted in art dating back to the 4th century BCE.

In (Metamorphosis - The Golden Ass)

The Golden Ass was written in Latin in the 2nd century CE by Apuleius.[7] The novel consists of eleven books, mainly surrounding a man named Lucius. Lucius, dabbling in magic, attempts to turn into a bird, but after the spell goes wrong, turns himself into a donkey and goes on a journey where he eventually is restored to human form with the help of the goddess Isis.[9] Along the way, he hears many stories, including tales about Socrates and the endeavors of a group of bandits. The biggest, most notable story Lucius hears on his journey is about Psyche and Cupid’s love story, spanning books 4-6.[10]

Mythology

Early life

Psyche with butterfly wings mounted on a camel, at the Louvre

In an unnamed kingdom, a king and queen had three beautiful daughters. The youngest, Psyche, possessed beauty that surpassed that of her sisters which resulted in those around her, including priests, comparing her to Aphrodite (referred to as Venus in The Golden Ass).[11] Many went to the extent of saying that she was even fairer than the goddess herself. In other iterations, she is not compared to Aphrodite but mistaken for her.[12]

Psyche's beauty attracted people from all over distant lands to give gifts and offerings.[13] When Aphrodite's temples were neglected as a result, the goddess was outraged a mortal was being worshiped over her. As punishment, Aphrodite sent her son, Eros, to make the girl fall in love with a vile and hideous monster, as he could make anyone fall in love with the strike of his arrows.[14] Cupid did as he was asked by approaching Psyche as she slept and touching her with one of his arrows. Psyche awoke, and although she did not see him because he was invisible, Cupid accidentally wounded himself with his own arrow and fell in love with her.[10]

Meanwhile, both of her elder sisters were jealous of her beauty. Still, they eventually went on to marry kings[15] and left to be with their husbands. Although everyone kept admiring Psyche's beauty, it became apparent that she couldn't find a suitor because they were happy to merely worship her instead of asking her hand in marriage[citation needed] The king and queen, deeply disturbed by this, decided to consult the Oracle of Delphi, also known as Pythia[7] at the Temple of Apollo for answers. Apollo, speaking through the Oracle, said "Despair, king. Your daughter will marry a beast even the gods fear. Dress her in funeral clothes and take her to the tallest rock spire in the kingdom. There, she shall meet her doom."[11] The king returned heartbroken but obeyed the god's orders.

Marriage to Cupid

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss by Antonio Canova
The Abduction of Psyche by Émile Signol

After the king consulted the Oracle, Psyche was taken to the rock spire and abandoned to her fate. She waited for the beast, but it did not come. In some retellings, Cupid is there, only invisible.[16] Zephyrus, the Greek lord of the west wind, carried her away from the rock and moved her to a place where she fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke again, she found herself in a palace made of gems and gold.[10]

An invisible voice told Psyche to make herself at home and that everything belonged to her. She took a bath and ate a big feast, all while an invisible lyre played beautiful music to entertain her. It was then that Psyche learned that the invisible person was her new husband. He visited only at night, forbidding her to look upon his face or learn his name, saying that it was better for her to love him as an equal than to see him as something godly.[17]

Psyche's first weeks within the palace were filled with pleasures, and although she feared him at first, she eventually came to fall in love with the invisible man and soon fell pregnant. During the day, however, she became lonely, only looking forward to nighttime when her husband would visit. Eventually, she asked to see her sisters who, in her absence, had assumed her death and had been in mourning. Cupid eventually permitted her to invite her family to the palace, instructing Zephyrus to carry the sisters to the palace where they would be reunited.

Relief of Psyche on a sarcophagus lid from Tyre, Lebanon.

When they arrived, her sisters gazed upon their sister’s good fortune and became jealous. They began to ask questions about Psyche’s husband, intending to trick her. At first, Psyche lied about who her husband was, claiming he was a hunter. With more prodding, Psyche finally admitted she had never seen her husband’s face and did not know his name. In anger and jealousy, they recalled the Oracle's words and claimed that Psyche's husband was not a kind man but in fact a monster, and that she should approach him in his sleep and kill him.[18]

Psyche, although doubtful, was eventually swayed by her sisters' words and looked upon Cupid while he was sleeping, sneaking into his room with an oil lamp and a knife. As Psyche shone the light on her husband's face, she realized that he was a god and reprimanded herself for her foolishness. However, as she shifted, a small drop of hot oil fell onto Cupid' shoulder, awakening him. Betrayed by his wife's actions, Cupid took off in flight to be attended to by his mother, due to his burns from the oil lamp. As he disappeared, so did the palace, and Psyche found herself in a field near where her sisters lived. Distraught, Psyche told her sisters of what happened and they pretended to be saddened for her. Instead, the sisters were plotting to convince Cupid to take one of them to be his wife. The two traveled to the peak and jumped, thinking Zephyrus would catch them and take them to the palace as he did the last time. Zephyrus, however, knowing what was truly in their hearts, ignored them and the two sisters fell to their deaths.[19] Upset and lost, Psyche wandered and searched for her lover. Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, pitied the girl and told her to go to Aphrodite and beg for forgiveness.

Psyche's Trials

Sorting grain

Hermes and Psyche in the Palais Garnier at Paris. Above Psyche's head is a butterfly. Their names are in Greek, ΨΥΧΗ (Psyche) and ΕΡΜΗΣ (Hermes).

While Aphrodite had been tending to her son’s injuries, she had learned about the secret marriage between Psyche and her son. When the girl came and begged for forgiveness, the angry goddess had Psyche whipped and tortured. Afterward, she was given barrels of grains, barley, wheat, beans, and poppy seeds[17] mixed together to sort through and was ordered to have them sorted by evening. Psyche broke down in despair, but ants sent by Demeter witnessed the exchange and took pity on the girl, instructing her colony to help sort the grain. Aphrodite, surprised and enraged to see that the task had been completed, gave Psyche a new task.[10]

Golden fleece

This time, she was ordered to approach a pack of rams known for being violent and shear their golden fleece to bring back to the goddess. Rather than be killed by these rams, Psyche planned on drowning herself in the river near the pack. As she prepared to do so, the river god spoke and said, "Psyche, tried by much suffering, do not pollute my holy waters with your pitiable death."[10] He then instructed her to wait until the rams calmed when the weather was cooler,[17] for the animals would be less likely to attack her. Psyche listened to the river god and waited until it got cooler before she was able to safely shear the fleece off the backs of the rams.[10]

The River Styx

Once that task had been completed, Aphrodite gave Psyche her third task: gather the black waters from the River Styx in a crystal cup the goddess had given her. Arriving near the river, Psyche once again began to despair, for getting to the river itself meant climbing up a treacherous cliff and risking her life. This time, it was Zeus who took pity on the girl and sent his eagle to retrieve the water for her in the crystal cup, thus successfully completing the third task.[17]

A sample of beauty

Psyche and Persephone, relief by Hermann Heidel.

For her fourth and final task, Psyche was given a golden box and ordered to travel to the Underworld to retrieve a bit of beauty possessed by Persephone, goddess of spring, and queen of the Underworld. Psyche, believing this last task was impossible, once again decided to take her own life. She climbed a tall tower and prepared to jump, but the tower spoke and instructed Psyche to go to the border of Sparta where she could find a passageway to the Underworld.[17] Upon arriving, Psyche was surprised to find that Persephone willingly filled the box with her beauty. However, on her way back to give Aphrodite the box, curiosity once again overcame her and she opened it. Instead of finding a sample of beauty, she found a cloud of darkness that put her in a deep sleep.[7]

The marriage of Psyche and Cupid

By this point in the story, Cupid had fully healed from his injury and took flight to find his love. When he found Psyche, he gently awoke her with an arrow and took the box to Aphrodite before going in search of Zeus to plead his case. The god of the sky agreed to help Cupid and Psyche in exchange for Cupid’s service the next time a beautiful maiden caught his eye and the deal was made. Zeus arranged an assembly, sending Hermes, the messenger god, to gather the gods together. At this assembly, Zeus warned Aphrodite not to ever bring harm to Psyche again before handing the girl the drink of the gods, ambrosia, which granted her immortality. Afterward, Psyche and Cupid were married and a big celebration and feast commenced. From then on, Psyche and Cupid had a child, Hedone, the goddess of pleasure, and Psyche became known as the goddess of the soul.[7]

Interpretations

Many interpretations have been made on the story of Cupid and Psyche, among them on the connections between love, trials, and the soul. According to the writer Fulgentius, the story could be read through a Christian lens in which Psyche is compared to Adam because both had curiosities that led them to be banished from paradise.[10] The Italian poet Giovanni Boccaccio proposed that the marriage between Psyche and Cupid could be seen as the bond between the soul and God. Thomas Bullfinch wrote that the soul can be compared to a butterfly, in that the soul can be purified through trials and tribulations, just like a butterfly bursting from its cocoon. Other scholars believe it could be seen as an allegory for the soul’s journey for love, while some believe that just like butterflies, the human soul endures pain and change and can still have a happy ending.[7]

Gnostic narrative

Psyche is featured in the creation myth found in the ancient Gnostic text known as On the Origin of the World. Here she appears as a lover of Eros who pours her blood upon him and also upon the Earth, which causes the first rose to appear on the Earth from a thorn bush.[20]

References in art and literature

Literature

  • "Love in Color" by Bolu Babalola is a collection of works that features a story about Psyche and Eros.
  • "The Fable Of The Goddess Psyche And Cupid" by Lucius Apuleius translated by T. Taylor 2023.
  • "Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis is not focused on Psyche but instead her sister Orual, giving a different view point of Psyche in myth.
  • "Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire" by Julius Lester is centered around Cupid in this romantic, light retelling.
  • "The Earthly Paradise" by William Morris is an 1868 poem retelling the story of Psyche and Cupid and other myths.
  • "Ode to Psyche" poem by John Keats in 1819 in which the narrator shares his plans to resurrect Psyche.
  • Psyche In A Dress by Francesca Lia Block was published in 2006 as a contemporary retelling of the Psyche myth in poetic prose.

Paintings, sculptures, and engravings

Other references

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Fable Of The Goddess Psyche And Cupid
  2. ^ The following summary is condensed from the translation of Kenney (Cambridge University Press, 1990), and the revised translation of W. Adlington by S. Gaseless for the Loeb Classical Library (Harvard University Press, 1915), with reference to the accompanying Latin text.
  3. ^ Oxford dictionary
  4. ^ Charles Garnier's Opéra: Architecture and Interior Decor, Gérard Fontaine, 2004, p. 132.
  5. ^ "CPAS Butterfly". www.cpascounseling.com. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  6. ^ "English-Latin translation :: soul :: Dictionary". translate-latin.com. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Psyche - Goddess of the Soul • Facts and Information on the God Psyche - Goddess of the Soul". Greek Gods & Goddesses. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  8. ^ "The Golden Ass | Roman Novel, Satire, Lucius | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  9. ^ "episode_073_the_golden_age". literatureandhistory.com. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mark, Harrison W. "Psyche". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  11. ^ a b "The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Golden Asse, by Lucius Apuleius". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  12. ^ Webber, Kelly (Spring–Summer 2022). "Being Psyche". Mythopoeic Society. 40 (2): 29–38. JSTOR 48659530.
  13. ^ "Myth of Eros and Psyche - Greek Myths | Greeka". Greekacom. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  14. ^ "EROS - Greek God of Love (Roman Cupid, Amor)". www.theoi.com. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  15. ^ "Master of the Die | Plate 3: Psyche's two sisters are married to kings, with Psyche standing at left, accompanied by another king, from "The Story of Cupid and Psyche as told by Apuleius"". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  16. ^ Ruck, Carl A.P. (2017). "The new Aphrodite". Sexus Journal. 1 (4): 5 – via BU Open Access Articles.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Lary, Morris H. (2022-09-08). "Psyche: Greek Goddess of the Human Soul | History Cooperative". Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  18. ^ Edwards, M. J. (1992). "The Tale of Cupid and Psyche". Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. 94: 77–94. ISSN 0084-5388. JSTOR 20188784.
  19. ^ "Psyche in Greek Mythology". Greek Legends and Myths. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  20. ^ Robinson, James M. (2007) [1st publ. 1978]. "On the Origin of the World". The Nag Hammadi Scriptures. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060523787.

References

  • Lucius Apuleius, The Golden Ass, translated from original Latin by Thomas Taylor, London, 1822. Read online at Internet Archive
  • Mark, Harrison W. "Psyche". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2023-03-03
    • This article contains excerpts from Metamorphoses
  • "Psyche-Goddess of the Soul • Facts and Information on the God Psyche - Goddess of the Soul". Greek Gods & Goddesses. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
    • More information on Psyche's trials.
  • Lary, Morris H. (2022-09-08). "Psyche: Greek Goddess of the Human Soul | History Cooperative". Retrieved 2023-03-03.
    • The cultural influence of Psyche's story.

Further reading

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