According to one of the most romantic of the Greek and Roman myths, 
the lovely Psyche had through her great beauty incited jealousy in the heart of Venus herself, 
the goddess of love. Venus had a son named Eros (sometimes called Love or Cupid) whom she used 
to inflame the hearts of men and women to love or hatred. Venus dispatched Eros to inspire 
Psyche with the love of some base creature but when Eros saw her, he himself was smitten with 
love and failed to carry out his mother's orders. He caused Zephyr to waft her away to his own 
palace in a beautiful secluded valley. There he came to her each night in secrecy, 
having whispered to her that she must not seek to know his name. 

Psyche had two sisters who became envious of the manner of life which the unknown lover had be 
stowed upon the youngest of the three. Working upon her fears and her curiosity, they induced 
Psyche to light a lamp while her lover was asleep and to gaze upon him. When Psyche did so, 
she saw not a monster as they had predicted, but the most handsome of all youths. In her 
excitement she let fall upon his shoulder drops of burning oil from the lamp. Eros awoke and 
vanished without farewell. 

In her despair Psyche went to Venus to beg forgiveness and to offer to do deeds of penance. Venus was
unforgiving and assigned the most difficult of tasks to the beautiful girl, but Eros rescued her and at his
entreaty she was received among the gods who united the lovers in marriage.



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