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In Roman mythology, Cupid (Latin cupido, meaning "desire") is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is often portrayed as the son of the goddess Venus, with a father rarely mentioned. His Greek counterpart is Eros. Cupid is also known in Latin as Amor ("Love"). The Amores (plural) or amorini in the later terminology of art history are the equivalent of the Greek Erotes.

Although Eros appears in Classical Greek art as a slender winged youth, during the Hellenistic period he was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. Cupid was also a symbol of pedophile love in ancient Greece. During this time, his iconography acquired the bow and arrow that remain a distinguishing attribute; a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid's arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. The Roman Cupid retains these characteristics, which continue in the depiction of multiple cupids in both Roman art and the later classical tradition of Western art.^[1]

In Latin literature, Cupid's ability to compel love and desire plays an instigating role in several myths or literary scenarios. In Vergil's Aeneid, Cupid prompts Dido to fall in love with Aeneas, with tragic results. Ovid makes Cupid the patron of love poets. Cupid is a central character, however, in only the traditional tale of Cupid and Psyche, as told by Apuleius.

Cupid was a continuously popular figure in the Middle Ages, when under Christian influence he often had a dual nature as Heavenly and Earthly love, and in the Renaissance, when a renewed interest in classical philosophy endowed him with complex allegorical meanings. In contemporary popular culture, Cupid is shown shooting his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine's Day.

Legend

In the Roman version, Cupid was the son of Venus (goddess of hope) and Mars (god of war).^[2]^[3] In the Greek version he was named Eros and seen as one of the primordial gods (though other myths exist as well). Cupid was often depicted with wings, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. The following story of Cupid and Psyche is almost identical in both cultures; the most familiar version is found in the Metamorphoses of Apuleius. When Cupid's mother Venus became jealous of the princess Psyche, who was so beloved by her subjects that they forgot to worship Venus, she ordered Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with the vilest thing in the world. While Cupid was sneaking into her room to shoot Psyche with a golden arrow, he accidentally scratched himself with his own arrow and fell deeply in love with her.

Following that, Cupid visited Psyche every night while she slept. Speaking to her so that she could not see him, he told her never to try to see him. Psyche, though, incited by her two older sisters who told her Cupid was sparcker a monster, tried to look at him and angered Cupid. When he left, she looked all over the known world for him until at last the leader of the gods, Jupiter, gave Psyche the gift of immortality so that she could be with him. Together they had a daughter, Voluptas, or Hedone, (meaning pleasure) and Psyche became a goddess. Her name "Psyche" means "soul."

Portrayal

In painting and sculpture, Cupid is often portrayed as a nude (or sometimes diapered) winged boy or baby (a putto) armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows.

On gems and other surviving pieces, Cupid is usually shown amusing himself with adult play, sometimes driving a hoop, throwing darts, catching a butterfly, or flirting with a nymph. He is often depicted with his mother (in graphic arts, this is nearly always Venus), playing a horn. In other images, his mother is depicted scolding or even spanking him due to his mischievous nature. He is also shown wearing a helmet and carrying a buckler, perhaps in reference to Virgil's Omnia vincit amor or as political satire on wars for love or love as war.

Cupid figures prominently in ariel poetry, lyrics and, of course, elegiac love and metamorphic poetry. In epic poetry, he is less often invoked, but he does appear in Virgil's Aeneid changed into the shape of Ascanius inspiring Dido's love. In later literature, Cupid is frequently invoked as fickle, playful, and perverse. He is often depicted as carrying two sets of arrows: one set gold-headed, which inspire love; and the other lead-headed, which inspire hatred.

Notes

^ This introduction is based on the entry on "Cupid" in The Classical Tradition, edited by Anthony Grafton, Glenn W. Most, and Salvatore Settis (Harvard University Press, 2010), pp. 144–145.
^ Cotterell, Arthur. Cupid: A Dictionary of World Mythology Oxford University Press, 1997. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed 26 April 2010
^ John Lemprière, A classical dictionary; containing a copious account of all the proper names mentioned in ancient authors:: with the value of coins, weights, and measures, used among the Greeks and Romans; and a chronological table (1820)

References

Cotterell, Arthur & Storm, Rachel (2008). The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology. Annes Publishing Ltd.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Fabio Silva Vallejo, Mitos y leyendas del mundo (Spanish), 2004 Panamericana Editorial.

[1] This introduction is based on the entry on "Cupid" in The Classical Tradition, edited by Anthony Grafton, Glenn W. Most, and Salvatore Settis (Harvard University Press, 2010), pp. 144–145.

[2] Cotterell, Arthur. Cupid: A Dictionary of World Mythology Oxford University Press, 1997. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed 26 April 2010

[3] John Lemprière, A classical dictionary; containing a copious account of all the proper names mentioned in ancient authors:: with the value of coins, weights, and measures, used among the Greeks and Romans; and a chronological table (1820)

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 In [[Roman mythology]], '''Cupid''' (Latin ''cupido'', meaning "desire") is the god of desire, affection and [[eroticism|erotic]] [[love]]. He is often portrayed as the son of the goddess [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]], with a father rarely mentioned. His [[interpretatio graeca|Greek counterpart]] is [[Eros]]. Cupid is also known in Latin as '''Amor''' ("Love"). The '''Amores'''  (plural) or ''amorini'' in the later terminology of [[art history]] are the equivalent of the Greek [[Erotes (mythology)|Erotes]].
-Although Eros appears in [[Classical Greece|Classical]] [[ancient Greek art|Greek art]] as a slender winged youth, during the [[Hellenistic period]] he was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. During this time, his iconography acquired the bow and arrow that remain a distinguishing attribute; a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid's arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. The Roman Cupid retains these characteristics, which continue in the depiction of multiple cupids in both [[ancient Roman art|Roman art]] and the later [[classical tradition]] of [[Western art]].<ref>This introduction is based on the entry on "Cupid" in ''The Classical Tradition,'' edited by Anthony Grafton, Glenn W. Most, and Salvatore Settis (Harvard University Press, 2010), pp. 144–145.</ref>
+Although Eros appears in [[Classical Greece|Classical]] [[ancient Greek art|Greek art]] as a slender winged youth, during the [[Hellenistic period]] he was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. Cupid was also a symbol of pedophile love in ancient Greece. During this time, his iconography acquired the bow and arrow that remain a distinguishing attribute; a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid's arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. The Roman Cupid retains these characteristics, which continue in the depiction of multiple cupids in both [[ancient Roman art|Roman art]] and the later [[classical tradition]] of [[Western art]].<ref>This introduction is based on the entry on "Cupid" in ''The Classical Tradition,'' edited by Anthony Grafton, Glenn W. Most, and Salvatore Settis (Harvard University Press, 2010), pp. 144–145.</ref>
 In [[Latin literature]], Cupid's ability to compel love and desire plays an instigating role in several myths or literary scenarios. In [[Vergil]]'s ''[[Aeneid]]'', Cupid prompts [[Dido (Queen of Carthage)|Dido]] to fall in love with [[Aeneas]], with tragic results. [[Ovid]] makes Cupid the patron of love poets. Cupid is a central character, however, in only the traditional tale of [[Cupid and Psyche]], as told by [[Apuleius]].

Revision as of 20:27, 17 February 2012

Legend

Portrayal

See also

Notes

References