Beloved eros crossword puzzle. Psyche (Psyche), wife of the god of love Eros
The meaning of the word psyche
New explanatory and word-formative dictionary of the Russian language. Author T. F. Efremova.
Psyche and. 1) Beloved of the god of love Eros, who - according to ancient Greek mythology - was granted immortality. 2) Use. as a symbol of the human soul, depicted by the ancient Greeks as a butterfly or a girl with butterfly wings.
orthographic dictionary
Psyche psycho, -i (butterfly)
F. Brockhaus, I.A. Efron. encyclopedic Dictionary
Psyche (Yuch) - in Greek mythology, the personification of the human soul that Eros loves. She was represented in the form of a butterfly or a young girl with butterfly wings; sometimes she was pursued by Eros, sometimes she took revenge on him for his persecution, sometimes there was the most tender love between them. Apuleius in his Metamorphoses made P. and Eros the heroes of a folk tale, variations of which are found in the literature of different nations. The fairy tale says that one king had three beautiful daughters, of whom the youngest, P., was the most beautiful. The fame of her beauty spread throughout the whole earth and many came to the city where P. lived to admire her. They even began to give her divine honors, forgetting the Olympian Venus. The latter was offended and decided to destroy her rival. Calling her son Eros (Cupid), she showed him the beauty and told him to instill in her love for the most outcast, ugliest and pitiful of people. Meanwhile, P. felt very unhappy because everyone admired her as if she were a soulless beauty, and no one sought her hand. In grief, her father turned to the Milesian oracle, and God replied that P., dressed in funeral clothes, should be taken to a rock to marry a terrible monster. Fulfilling the will of the oracle, the unfortunate father brought P. to the indicated place and left her alone; suddenly a breath of wind carried her to a wonderful palace inhabited by invisible spirits, and she became the wife of some mysterious invisible creature. P.'s blissful life, however, did not last long: the envious sisters, having learned about her well-being, decided to harass her and, by cunning, achieved that P. broke her promise to her husband - not to find out who he was. The evil sisters whispered to her that the invisible husband was a dragon, who would one day eat her with her fetus (P. was already pregnant), and convinced her that, armed with a sword and a lamp, she would lie in wait for him during his sleep and kill him. Trusting P. obeyed, and, having lit the lamp, began to examine her husband, who turned out to be a beautiful Cupid; while she, amazed by the beauty of his face, admired the sleeping man, a hot drop of oil fell from the lamp onto the god’s shoulder and he woke up in pain. Offended by the treachery and frivolity of his wife, he flew away from her, and she, abandoned, went across the earth to look for her lover. P. walked for a long time across all lands until she was forced to bow to her rival, Venus, who had long been looking for an opportunity to take revenge on P. and sent Mercury to look for her. At this time, Eros, sick from a burn, was lying with his mother. Finding herself under the same roof with her husband, but separated from him, P. had to endure all sorts of persecutions from Venus, who, seeking her death, came up with various impossible jobs. So, P. had to sort by grain and by type a huge pile of mixed grain, get golden fleece from mad sheep, get water from the Styx and bring a box with wonderful ointments from the underworld from Proserpina. Thanks to the help of others, P. did everything that Venus told her, until Cupid finally recovered. Then he turned to the assistance of the supreme Olympian god and with his help obtained the consent of the celestials to marry P., who received immortality from Zeus and was introduced to the host of gods. The envious sisters of Psyche were punished for their envy and deceit by crashing on a cliff, jumping from it in the hope that Zephyr would take them to the magical palace of Eros. From P.'s marriage with Eros, Pleasure (Voluptas) was born. Apuleius' tale was extremely popular in the literature and art of European peoples. In Russian literature, the famous “Darling” by Bogdanovich was written on this plot. Wed. Apuleius, “Metamorphoseon libri XI” (ed. Van der Vliet, Lpts. 1897; Russian translation by Sokolov, St. Petersburg, 1895); Friedlander, “Darstellungen aus der Sittengeschichte Roms” (I, 522 ff.; here is the literature of the plot); Schanz, "Geschichte der Romischen Litteratur" (III part, Munich, 1896).
Modern explanatory dictionary
PSYCHE, in Greek mythology, the personification of the human soul; was depicted in the form of a butterfly or a girl. The love of Psyche and Eros (Cupid) is a common plot in literature and fine arts.
6 letters in the word "psyche": e and p s x i.
Words made from 6 letters of the word psyche:
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio Cupid
The story of Cupid and Psyche is of Greek origin, but is best known as told by the Roman writer of the 2nd century AD - Apuleius. It is included as an insert novella in his famous novel “Metamorphoses” (“The Golden Ass”).
Apuleius calls the gods by Roman names: Cupid, Venus, Jupiter, but the name Psyche is Greek and means “soul.” In later times, the story of Cupid and Psyche was interpreted as an allegory of the wanderings of the human soul, striving to merge with love.
Cupid, aka Eros, aka Eros, aka Cupid, is the god of love and sexual desire.
Although they say that Cupid is one of the elder gods who arose from Chaos, the parents of this god were (again, according to many versions!) either Aphrodite (for the Romans - Venus) and Ares, or Aphrodite and Hermes, and maybe even Iris and Zephyr or Artemis and Hermes. The poet Olen calls Eros the son of Ilithyia, the goddess who helps during childbirth, and Euripides (“Hippollitus”) even considers Eros the son of Zeus (also known as Jupiter in our story).
Traditionally, he is portrayed as just a boy, blond and winged, capricious and cunning. He often serves his mother in exchange for some absolutely useless gift (but in Apollonius of Rhodes, Eros completely pushes Aphrodite around).
Later, Eros appears as a young man, very similar in appearance to a cherub, with the only difference being that Eros is still armed with a golden bow and arrows, capable of both kindling and destroying love in the hearts of mortals and celestials.
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Psyche - in ancient mythology - a simple mortal girl, endowed with beauty, beloved of the god of love Eros (Cupid), who was granted immortality.
Well, now the story itself is based on Apuleius and his Metamorphoses.
In a certain country there lived a king and a queen. They had three beautiful daughters, and the youngest, Psyche, was so beautiful that she surpassed Venus herself in beauty.
People revere her like Venus herself, abandoning the old sanctuaries of the goddess.
Venus was annoyed with the mortal beauty and decided to punish her severely.
Venus, rightly indignant, “now called to her the son of her winged, extremely impudent boy, who, in his malice, neglecting the social order, armed with arrows and a torch, runs at night through other people’s houses, dissolving marriages everywhere, and, committing such crimes with impunity, is decidedly good.” does nothing. Due to the natural depravity of the unbridled, she also excites him with words, takes him to that city and... shows "the girl, urging him to do so" so that Psyche falls in love with the most insignificant of people and would be unhappy with him all her life ". Cupid flew to carry out his mother's orders, but everything did not turn out the way Venus wanted. Seeing Psyche, Cupid was struck by her beauty, and the beautiful princess, without suspecting it, stung the god of love himself with love. Cupid decided that the beauty should become his wife, and began to discourage all suitors from her.
.Maurice Denis Cupid Flying Struck by the Beauty of Psyche 1908
The king and queen were perplexed: the two eldest daughters had already been successfully married, but Psyche, despite her beauty, still lived in her parents’ house and not a single groom had wooed her.
The king turned to the oracle, and the oracle announced (of course, at the instigation of Cupid) that the princess was destined for an unusual fate.
The oracle said that her husband would not be a man, but someone winged, scorching with fire, the threat of the gods and even Styx. He ordered that Psyche be dressed in a wedding dress, taken to a high mountain and left there awaiting the unknown husband destined for her.
The king and queen grieved for a long time, but they did not dare to disobey the will of the gods and did everything as the oracle ordered.
Unhappy Psyche in her wedding dress found herself alone on the top of the mountain. She looked around in horror, expecting that some monster was about to appear.
But suddenly a light, gentle Zephyr breeze flew in, picked up Psyche, carried her from the inhospitable rock to a green valley and lowered her onto the silky grass.
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A shady grove grew nearby, and among the trees stood a white marble palace. Seeing that nothing bad had happened to her so far, the princess perked up and wanted to take a closer look at the palace. The doors opened of their own accord in front of her, and the princess, timidly, went inside.
Psyche had never seen such luxury before. The walls shone with gold and silver, the ceiling was made of ivory, and the floor, which she trampled under her feet, was paved with precious stones.
Suddenly, a friendly voice was heard from somewhere: “Hello, princess! Be the mistress here.”
Psyche walked around the palace all day, but was never able to explore all its rooms. Invisible servants accompanied the princess, fulfilling her every desire, as soon as she had time to think about it.
In the evening, tired, Psyche went to bed, and under the cover of darkness Cupid came down to her bed. Psyche did not see, but only felt her unknown husband, but, nevertheless, she fell in love with him dearly. In the morning, before it was dawn, Cupid left, only to come again when it got dark.
Cupid, unable to see his beloved wife in sadness, said: “I will fulfill your wish. See your sisters, but be careful - they can give you bad advice.”
He sent Zephyrs for Psyche's sisters, and they carried them on their wings to the palace.
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Coming to their senses after traveling by air and seeing that their younger sister was alive and well, the sisters were very happy. But when Psyche told them how happy she was, walked around the palace and showed her wealth, envy awoke in their hearts.
When the sisters began to ask her about her husband, the simple-minded Psyche replied that her husband was kind and affectionate, and, apparently, young and handsome, although she could not say this for sure, because he visits her only under cover of darkness.
Here the sisters were filled with even greater envy, since one of them had a husband who was old and bald as a pumpkin, while the other’s was crooked from rheumatism and constantly smeared himself with stinking ointment.
Returning home, the sisters did not even tell their parents that Psyche was alive, and they drew up an insidious plan to ruin her happiness.
.Maurice Denis Amour transfers Psyche to heaven 1908
.Maurice Denis. Zephyr transports Psyche to the Island of Bliss 1908
.John William Waterhouse Psyche Entering Cupid's Garden 1905
.Jean Honore Fragonard Psyche shows the sisters gifts from Cupid
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Soon Psyche again wanted to see her sisters, and they, like the last time, flew to visit her on the wings of the Zephyrs.
Seeing Psyche, the sisters portrayed feigned grief on their faces and exclaimed: “Oh, unfortunate one! Your husband is a disgusting and evil snake. The local farmers have more than once seen him crawling on his belly across the river and hiding in your palace. Beware! One day he will bite you - and you will die a terrible death! And they both began to sob loudly.
Frightened and confused, Psyche asked: “What should I do?”
The sisters said: “Hide a sharp knife under your bed, and when your husband comes to you tonight, kill him.”
The treacherous sisters returned home, leaving Psyche in fear and sadness.
After thinking about it, she doubted the sisters’ words and decided, before killing her husband, to look at him to make sure that he really was a snake. She filled the lamp with oil and hid it near the bed.
At night, Cupid, as usual, came to Psyche’s bed. When he fell asleep, Psyche slowly got up, lit the lamp and, frozen with horror, looked at her husband. Imagine her amazement and joy when, instead of the disgusting snake, she saw the golden-haired god of love. Having accidentally been pricked by Cupid's arrow, Psyche was inflamed with even greater love for God, however, Psyche's hand trembled, the lamp tilted, and a drop of hot oil fell on the sleeping man's shoulder.
.Statue "Cupid and Psyche" in the Summer Garden of St. Petersburg
Cupid immediately woke up. Seeing Psyche with a lamp in her hands, he exclaimed in anger and grief:
“After all, I, the most simple-minded Psyche, contrary to the command of my mother Venus, who ordered to instill in you a passion for the most pitiful, the last of mortals and doom you to a wretched marriage, I myself chose to fly to you as a lover. I know that I acted frivolously, but, the famous shooter , I wounded myself with my own weapon and made you my wife so that you would consider me a monster and want to cut off my head with a razor because it contains these eyes that are in love with you. I have always urged you to beware ", always persuaded in a friendly manner. Your venerable advisers will immediately answer me for their such disastrous invention, but I will punish you only with my disappearance," he said, stopping in the garden, and flew away.
The unfortunate Psyche was left alone, crying bitterly and cursing her gullibility.
She tried to drown herself, but the river, not wanting to quarrel with the god of love, rejected her body. Seeing her, tear-stained, exhausted, Pan advised her not to kill herself, but to pray to Cupid, and although such advice was almost absurd, Psyche decided to find a husband at all costs
.E. Burne-Jones Psyche and Pan 1874
Having reached the nearest city, in which her sister was the queen, Psyche went to her and told her that the light of the lamp had revealed to her that Cupid himself was her husband, but that he woke up and drove her out, declaring that he preferred her sister (and Psyche called Name). The enthusiastic sister immediately boarded the ship, sailed to the cliff from where Zephyr had previously carried her to Cupid’s palace and, without waiting for the wind, jumped off the cliff.
Meanwhile, Psyche reached the city where her second sister lived and told her the same story as the first; and this envious woman crashed in the same way. So, she moved from one city to another in search of her lover.
Cupid, meanwhile, flew to the palace of his mother Venus. His burned shoulder hurt badly, he moaned and complained loudly.
The efficient seagull, who learned about this, hurried to Venus and told her about her son’s illness and that people no longer fall in love or get married, and that they scold the idlers Venus and Cupid for this. The seagull also did not forget to mention Psyche, whom Cupid made his beloved contrary to his mother’s orders.
Venus was angry with her son, who dared to marry the one she wished harm without her knowledge, but the goddess was even more angry with Psyche. Venus strictly forbade gods and people to help the unfortunate woman, to give her shelter and consolation, and began to search for the “runaway servant.”
Venus appears to Jupiter in a chariot drawn by birds and demands that Mercury be given to her. Mercury announces everywhere that the one who “returns from hiding or can indicate the place where the fugitive, the royal daughter, the servant of Venus, named Psyche, is hiding,” will receive as a reward from Venus “seven sweet kisses and another most honeyed one with a gentle touch of the tongue.” "
But Psyche is ready to bow to her mother-in-law herself in order to soften her anger and find a husband.
Psyche wandered for a long time, rejected by everyone, and finally came to the palace of Venus.
At the gate, Habit, Care and Dejection greet her with abuse, beat her with whips, Venus mocks her and refuses to recognize Psyche as her daughter-in-law and herself as the grandmother of the unborn child. She tears Psyche's dress, pulls her hair and asks her impossible tasks. Promising not to allow Psyche to give birth, she mixed rye, barley, millet, poppy seeds, peas, lentils, beans and told Psyche to sort it all out in a day.
Psyche began to cry, not daring to even begin this endless work.
However, the ants took pity on Psyche, and when Venus returned from the feast, the work was already done.
The next morning, Venus ordered Psyche to bring a tuft of wool from the golden fleece rams that were grazing in the meadow. The girl obediently went, but only to drown herself in the nearest river, along the banks of which reeds grew. One reed took pity on the girl and said: “Psyche, look, don’t get close to the terrible sheep at this hour: when the heat of the sun burns them, they are usually attacked by wild rage... When in the afternoon the sun’s heat subsides and the pleasant coolness of the river calms the flock , then... you will find golden wool stuck everywhere among the intertwined branches - you just have to shake the foliage of the neighboring trees."
Psyche listened to the advice and brought Venus an armful of golden wool.
The angry goddess did not hesitate to give the next task. This time Psyche needed to fill a vessel with water from a source gushing at the top of a steep cliff. When Psyche, holding a crystal vessel in her hands, stood at the foot of the rock and looked with despair at the impregnable peak, an eagle flew past. He picked up the crystal vessel and, rising on his wings to the top of the rock, scooped up water from the source.
Frustrated, Venus came up with a new task: she ordered Psyche to go down underground into the kingdom of death, ask its mistress Proserpina for a casket of beauty and, without opening it, bring it to Venus.
The miserable Psyche thought that it was easier to die than to complete this task. She climbed a high tower to throw herself down and put an end to her torment. Her grief was so great that the cold stones from which the tower was built took pity on her. They spoke and showed Psyche the way to the underworld, teaching her to bribe the ferryman across the river separating the world of the living from the world of the dead with two coins and appeasing the dog guarding the entrance to the underworld with two pieces of bread. The stones of the tower also warned: do not even think about opening the jar that will be in your hands, or looking into it, do not show curiosity about the treasures of divine beauty hidden in it. Having done everything as the tower advised, Psyche received a jar from Proserpina. She remembered that she shouldn't look into it, but she couldn't control her curiosity. As soon as she emerged from the underground kingdom into the light, she opened the lid.
The casket contained a dream of the underworld, similar to death. He enveloped Psyche in black fog, she fell to the ground and fell asleep.
.Maurice Denis Psyche, having opened a box with dreams of the underworld, plunges into sleep, 1908.
Meanwhile, Cupid's burned shoulder healed, and along with the pain, his anger towards Psyche passed away. He found her, immersed in an enchanted sleep, and woke her with a kiss. Psyche told her husband how cruelly Venus oppresses her, and Cupid promised that from now on this would come to an end. “But for now, diligently carry out the assignment that my mother gave you with her order, and I will take care of the rest,” said Cupid and flew away again.
He flew to Jupiter himself and began to ask him to establish peace between his mother and wife.
Jupiter called Venus and said to her: “Oh, most beautiful! Do not complain that your son chose not a goddess, but a mortal as his wife. I will give her immortality, and she will be equal to the gods.” He filled the goblet with ambrosia - the drink of the gods - and gave it to Psyche to drink.
.Maurice Denis The Wedding of Psyche and Cupid 1908
Psyche became immortal, like her husband. The gods sang praises to her beauty and good disposition, Venus had to humble herself and recognize Psyche as her daughter-in-law.
Soon Cupid and Psyche had a daughter, whose name is Pleasure.
The love story of Cupid and Psyche served as the basis for many works of art - sculptures, paintings, poems and plays. In European literature, the most famous adaptation of this plot is the poetic story of the 17th century French poet J. Lafontaine. Russian poet of the 18th century I.F. Bogdanovich also created a poem about Cupid and Psyche. He called his poem “Darling”, literally and at the same time very figuratively translating the name “Psyche” into Russian.
Pompeo Batoni Marriage of Cupid and Psyche 1756
Adolf_Uilyam_Bugro_Amur_i_Psiheya_1889_szh
Antonis_van_Deyk_Amur_i_Psiheya_1638
Antonio Canova Cupid and Psyche
Jacques-Louis David Cupid and Psyche 1817
Cupid Finding Psyche Edward Burne-Jones
R.Khairov Cupid and Psyche
F. Gerard Cupid and Psyche
Group:original name : EROS.
Merging cards
:
Warrior and Beloved.
Astrological correspondence:
planet Mars\Venus, sign Aries\Taurus.
Description and symbolic meaning of the card
Eros , Eros in ancient Greek mythology, the god of love, the son of Aphrodite and Ares, the personification of love attraction, ensuring the continuation of life on earth. Among the Romans Cupid and Cupid corresponded to him. Therefore, in the background we see a young, playful Cupid with gold, a quiver and, which inevitably amazed both people and the gods themselves, instilling in them a love passion. It can be assumed that this Warrior turned into a bow in the hands of the winged boy. The destructive energy of Mars, in interaction with Taurus Venus, is transformed into the sexual energy of love. Pillows, flowers and treats have already appeared on the Beloved map. The Warrior's aggressive energy disappears - he is busy with something else. All that was left of his map was the road in the background that led him here.
Two naked figures - a man and - stand under roses. The atmosphere of the card speaks of a harmonious combination of masculine and feminine principles, of sexual energy in beautiful, acceptable forms. This is a full union of Mars and Venus - they look each other straight in the eyes.
Card for the day
What is most important for me to do today?
Pay attention to the topic of relationships in a sensual and erotic sense. Abstinence today is not advisable.
What is the most important thing for me to understand today?
On this day you should realize your sexual needs, your feminine/masculine attractiveness.
What can I learn today?
Openness and trust in others. Realize your sexual, sensual nature and let it reveal itself.
What does my environment want from me today?
Go meet other people. The environment is favorable to you. The day will pass harmoniously.
Motive- Desire for sexual pleasure. The desire to love and be loved. Openness, trust in another person.
State– A harmonious combination of masculine and feminine principles in a person. Venus/Beloved knows how to direct the energy of Mars/Warrior into a peaceful direction. She gives his actions a beautiful, harmonious form. A person’s desires and his actions are coordinated and balanced.
Process– Develops harmoniously, without delays or obstacles. Action according to your choice.
Result- Expected. You will get what you expected. At the same time, you will experience satisfaction and pleasure from the result.
Relationship– Harmonious relationship between a man and a woman. The influence of passion and sexuality is great. People complement each other perfectly, there are no differences.
In business - finding a partner with whom there will be close, harmonious, equal cooperation. A fruitful union.
Business, work, finance — Beneficial partnership. Satisfaction from what has been done, success. In some cases, someone's significant financial assistance is possible.
Warning – You cannot build your relationship only on sexual attractiveness and personal sympathy. The physical level of the relationship must be supported by kinship of souls, etc.
Man and Woman are two different worlds, two poles of existence, yin and yang. They attract each other due to their different natures, but deep down they are too different, they have their own view and attitude to life. This can become a problem in relationships.
Advice– Become more attractive to the opposite sex. Emphasize your sexuality. Be more relaxed in this area.
Psyche
Psyche and.
1.
Beloved of the god of love Eros, who - according to ancient Greek mythology - was granted immortality.
2.
Used as a poetic symbol of the human soul, depicted by the ancient Greeks as a butterfly or a girl with butterfly wings.
Explanatory Dictionary by Efremova. T. F. Efremova. 2000.
Synonyms:
See what “Psyche” is in other dictionaries:
- (Psyche, Ψυχή), i.e. “soul”. A girl loved by Eros, sometimes depicted as a butterfly. The following story has developed about her, showing how the human soul rises above misfortune. Psyche was the youngest and most beautiful of three daughters... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology
Psyche- Psyche. Eros and Psyche. Roman marble copy from a Greek original, 1st floor. 2nd century BC Capitoline Museums. Rome. Psyche. Eros and Psyche. Roman marble copy from a Greek original, 1st floor. 2nd century BC Capitoline Museums. Rome. Psyche in... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History
Psyche- Psyche. Eros and Psyche. Roman marble copy from a Greek original, 1st floor. 2nd century BC Capitoline Museums. Rome. PSYCHE, in Greek mythology, the personification of the human soul. She was depicted as a butterfly, a flying bird or a girl. After long... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Greek, from psyche soul, spirit). 1) a mythological, beautiful young girl whom Cupid married and who is considered one of the gods; personification of the human soul. 2) asteroid, discovered in 1852. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
In the myths of the ancient Greeks, the personification of the soul, breath. Psyche was represented in the form of a butterfly, a flying bird or a girl. After long wanderings and searches, Psyche finds her beloved Eros (Cupid). The love of Psyche and Eros is a common plot... Historical Dictionary
Psyche- and, f. psyche f. psyche soul. outdated Inner world, spirit, soul. BAS 1. The crowd, in the sense of the mass of the people, is the direct guardian of the people's spirit, the direct source of the mysterious psyche of people's life. Belinsky Op. A. Pushkin. Gave... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
PSYCHE, in Greek mythology, the personification of the human soul. She was depicted as a butterfly, a flying bird or a girl. After long wanderings and searches, Psyche finds her beloved Eros (Cupid). The love of Psyche and Eros is a common plot in ... Modern encyclopedia
Soul Dictionary of Russian synonyms. psyche noun, number of synonyms: 5 asteroid (579) butterfly ... Synonym dictionary
In Greek mythology, the personification of the human soul; was depicted in the form of a butterfly or a girl. The love of Psyche and Eros (Cupid) is a common plot in literature, fine arts... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (myth.) beautiful princess wife of Cupid, the god of love (her own soul, spirit, sensual desire). Wed. Darling. Wed. Not the wrath of Achilles and not the siege of Troy, Where the gods argued and where the heroes fought, But I sing to Darling. Bogdanovich. Darling. Wed. Psyché (French),… … Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
- (Yuch) in Greek mythology, the personification of the human soul, which Eros loves. She was represented in the form of a butterfly or a young girl with butterfly wings; sometimes she was pursued by Eros, sometimes she took revenge on him by persecuting him, sometimes there was the most tender love between them... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Books
- Psyche, S. Frank. Reprint sheet music edition of Psych?. Genres: Symphonic poems; For mixed chorus, orchestra; Scores featuring mixed chorus; Scores featuring the orchestra; For chorus with orchestra; For mixed…
(Cupid), god of love.
The legend of Psyche and Eros is of Greek origin, but we mainly know it from the Latin work “Metamorphoses, or the Golden Ass” by Apuleius from Madaura (2nd century AD), where it is an independent story in the form of a fairy tale: some- then the old woman tells it to the girl who was kidnapped by robbers to entertain her. Obviously, in those days it was no less widespread than today (it is based on a fairy-tale plot known in the folklore of many nations - just name “The Scarlet Flower” by S. Aksakov).
So, there lived a king and a queen, and they had three beautiful daughters. The two eldest married quite successfully, but no one dared to woo the third, Psyche. She was distinguished by such unearthly beauty that everyone only admired her, like a beautiful statue or goddess. People began to say that Psyche was not some ordinary princess, but a new one, and many had already begun to give her divine honors. The temples in Paphos, Knidos and Cythera were empty; instead of Aphrodite, people revered Psyche.
In truth, Psyche was not at all delighted with this worship, and - more importantly - the goddess of love Aphrodite was not delighted either. Angered by the unimaginable beauty of a simple mortal girl, Aphrodite ordered her son Eros to wound Psyche’s heart with an arrow of love for the most disgusting man in the world.
Meanwhile, Psyche's father turned to the Delphic oracle for advice on how to find a groom for his daughter. The answer was terrible. The oracle told him to take Psyche in her wedding dress to a high rock, and there the groom would come for her - it would be a monstrous scaly dragon. The father did not resist the will of the gods, took his daughter to the top of the rock and left with a heavy heart. A miracle happened here. A light breeze picked up Psyche and carefully carried her into the valley under the rock. He did this at the request of Eros, who flew to the rock to fulfill the will of his mother and fell in love with Psyche at first sight.
Of course, Psyche had no idea about this, and everything that happened next was a continuous chain of pleasant surprises. In the depths of the valley she saw a magnificent palace. She entered the palace, and invisible servants began to fulfill all her wishes before she had time to express them. As soon as she thought, the invisible servants prepared a bath for her, laid out the table with dishes, and prepared the bed. And when Psyche fell asleep, tired from the experiences of an amazing day, the groom came to her - but not a disgusting scaly dragon, but the beautiful and affectionate god of love Eros.
Apparently Eros knew what he was doing when he made his bride promise that she would never try to see his face. Psyche, captivated by the joys of first love, willingly gave him this promise, although she did not know the reason for the prohibition - just as we do not know it. She lived happily in a magnificent palace, her days passed in anticipation of the nights when her mysterious lover appeared to her. Only one thing darkened her life - the memory of her parents and sisters, who, of course, suffered from the unknown of her fate.
Upon learning of Psyche's disappearance, her sisters returned from their husbands to their parents to console them. They also visited the rock on top of which Psyche disappeared from human eyes, and there they began to mourn their sister sadly. Then Psyche begged her lover for permission to see her sisters in order to console them. In vain Eros dissuaded her, warned that this was associated with serious dangers - if a woman wants something, even the god of love is powerless before her. So, Eros ordered Zephyr to take the sisters to the valley, and he himself flew away earlier than usual.
The meeting with Psyche sincerely delighted the sisters. But as soon as they saw the splendor in the midst of which she lived, joy immediately turned to envy. They began to ask her about her husband and wanted to get to know him. Psyche evasively told them that her husband was a handsome young man who was rarely at home because he was interested in hunting. Having hastily presented the sisters with gold and precious jewelry, she called Zephyr, and he took the sisters to a rock behind which the valley was hidden.
On the way home, the sisters confessed to each other the envy that tormented them. They decided not to tell anyone about Psyche’s happy fate and began to think over plans on how they could take possession of her wealth. Psyche did not suspect any of this and, when it turned out that she was expecting a child, she again begged Eros for permission to see her sisters. The sisters delivered by Zephyr hypocritically rejoiced at the good news and again began to inquire about her husband. It’s not for nothing that they say that lying requires a good memory. Having forgotten her first story, Psyche described her husband as a respectable middle-aged man who is engaged in trade and is often absent from home on his business; the sisters guessed that she didn’t even know what he looked like. On their next visit, they forced Psyche to admit this and convinced her that her husband was the same scaly dragon that the prophecy spoke of. The caring sisters taught her how to check this: she needs to cover the lamp with some kind of vessel, and when her husband falls asleep, carefully shine it on him. As proof of their love and devotion, they also suggested a way to salvation: they handed her a sharp knife to kill the monster.
Under the influence of her sisters and painful uncertainty, Psyche decided to break her promise. When her lover fell asleep at night, she opened the prepared lamp, took a knife and approached the bed. In the dim light of the lamp, Psyche saw that her lover was the beautiful and winged god of love. To celebrate, she wanted to kiss him right away. But when she leaned towards him, a drop of hot oil from the lamp fell onto Eros’s shoulder. From the pain, he woke up in fear, saw that Psyche had broken her promise, and, without saying a word, took off. However, Psyche was not taken aback, grabbed his legs, and in a moment both found themselves high in the sky.
The flight did not last long, since Psyche soon became exhausted, and Eros could not allow her to crash. He went down to earth with her and showered her with reproaches for treason. When Eros left Psyche again, she threw herself into the river in despair, but out of love for Eros, the river carried her to the shore. Exhausted by the vain desire for her beloved and for death, Psyche went to her sisters, who plunged her into misfortune with their insidious advice.
Arriving at her eldest sister, Psyche told her that she had run away from her husband, because during the last visit of the sisters, he secretly watched them, fell head over heels in love with the eldest, and did not even want to look at Psyche. The sister immediately rushed to the rock and, beside herself with impatience, rushed down. However, Zephyr did not even think of picking her up, since he did not receive any instructions about her, and she crashed on the rocks. The same fate awaited the second sister.
Meanwhile, Aphrodite heard rumors about her son's adventures. Angry, she sent her servants everywhere with orders to find and bring his mistress. It was not possible to find Psyche until she herself came to Aphrodite, desperate to find her lover.
In this situation, it was once again confirmed how close love and hatred are: at the sight of a woman who surpassed her in beauty, the goddess of love turned into the goddess of malice. Having learned that Psyche was expecting a child from her son and, accordingly, she herself would become a grandmother, Aphrodite fell into an unheard-of rampage - unheard of in the entire thousand-year history of the world of Greek myths. She ordered the maids to whip Psyche with whips, and then set to work on her herself: she tore her dress, tore her hair, beat her on anything until she was exhausted. But that was not all.
As befits a fairy tale, Aphrodite gave Psyche three tasks, the fulfillment of which could save her life. The goddess poured out a pile of wheat, barley, millet, poppy, peas and lentils in front of her, mixed it thoroughly and ordered Psyche to sort everything, grain by grain, before evening, if life was dear to her. The unfortunate woman was rescued by the ants, who took pity on Eros’s beloved. Then Aphrodite told her to bring a tuft of wool from the golden fleece of the wild sheep that grazed across the river. Here the reed, the patron saint of lovers, came to the aid of Psyche: he advised her to wait until midday, when the sheep, thawed by the heat, would calm down and fall asleep, and collect from the bushes the scraps of wool left by the sheep on the way to the pasture. To complete the third task, Psyche needed to bring water from a spring on a steep rock, which was guarded by wakeful dragons. This water was delivered to Psyche by the eagle himself, who remembered the repeated services that Eros provided to the king of the gods. But since Aphrodite suspected (and not without reason) that Psyche completed all three tasks with outside help, she gave her the fourth - incomparably more difficult. She ordered Psyche to go to the afterlife and bring from Persephone a jar of magic ointment that bestows beauty. Psyche understood that this task was in no way up to her, so she climbed the first tower she came across in order to throw herself from it - and that was the end of it. But the tower turned out to be difficult: it spoke to Psyche in a human voice and gave her a bunch of useful advice: how to get to the afterlife, how to behave with Persephone, how to avoid numerous dangers along the way. She especially emphasized that the jar that Psyche would receive from Persephone should under no circumstances be opened. But Psyche was never able to control her feminine nature. On the way back, she opened the jar to borrow some divine beauty. But what was in the jar was not beauty, but an “underground sleep” that immediately enveloped Psyche.
Covered in the sleep of death, Psyche lay for a long time somewhere halfway from the afterlife - for a long time, but not forever, as Aphrodite had hoped. Having recovered from his wound, Eros went in search of his beloved and found her. Seeing Psyche, he took the dream from her, returned it to the box, awakened Psyche with a light prick of his arrow and ordered her to take the box to her mother, he supposedly took care of the rest.
Eros kept his word: he visited Zeus himself and promised to find him the most beautiful beloved in the world if he allowed Eros to enter into a legal marriage with Psyche. Zeus elevated the mortal Psyche to the rank of goddess and solemnly named her the wife of Eros. In the end, Aphrodite also reconciled with Psyche, although soon after the wedding she nevertheless became the grandmother of a girl who received the name Hedon (Pleasure).
Many ancient images of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche have been preserved (sculptural groups, mosaics, frescoes, reliefs - especially on Roman sarcophagi): from the 3rd century. BC e. up to 4 c. n. e.; where this plot is found even in Christian art (fresco in the catacombs of Domitilla).
European artists did not lag behind their ancient colleagues either in the number or in the artistic level of works dedicated to the fate of two lovers. Perhaps the most famous are several sculptural groups of Cupid and Psyche, created by Canova in 1790-1800. (one of them is in St. Petersburg, in the Hermitage), as well as works of the same name by Thorvaldsen (1807) and Rodin (1893-1906). Let us also note “The Abandoned Psyche” by Pazhu (1790) and two sculptures by De Vries: “Mercury and Psyche” (1593) and “Psyche”.
The frescoes “Cupid and Psyche” in the Roman Villa Farnesina, painted by Raphael in 1514-1515, were called by Goethe the most beautiful decorations he knew. Paintings on this subject were also created by Romano (1525-1527), Zucchi (c. 1580), Pico (1817), Prud'hon (1808), Watts (1880), Denis (1908), Kokoschka (1955) and others.
Among the poets and prose writers who developed this topic, names such as La Fontaine, Wieland, Tennyson, Quite, and Bogdanovich stand out. Among musical works, it is enough to name at least the symphonic poem “Psyche” by Franck (1888) and Hindemith’s ballet “Cupid and Psyche” (1944).
Even in ancient times, many saw an allegorical meaning in Apuleius’ tale. To some extent, Apuleius himself had this aspect in mind (“psyche” in Greek means “soul”), but the idea of “moral purification of the soul through suffering,” which some interpreters put into the tale, is alien to Apuleius’ concept.
