Eros facts for kids

In Greek mythology, Eros (UK: /ˈɪərɒs, ˈɛrɒs/, US: /ˈɛrɒs, ˈɛroʊs/; Ancient Greek: Ἔρως, romanized: Érōs, lit. 'Love, Desire') is the Greek god of love. His Roman name was Cupid.

In some very old stories, Eros was a primordial god. This means he was one of the first gods to exist, helping to create the universe. In later stories, he is known as the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Ares, the god of war. He was also part of a group called the Erotes, who were winged gods of love.

Eros is often shown as a handsome young man. Sometimes, he appears as a playful boy. He always has wings and carries his special bow and arrows. He uses these arrows to make gods and people fall in love. He often works with his mother, Aphrodite. Eros usually plays a supporting role in myths. He helps others fall in love but doesn't have many unique stories of his own. The most famous story about him is how he met and fell in love with his wife, Psyche.

Eros, or his Roman version Cupid, stayed popular through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. His image and role influenced how Cupid is shown today. This version of Eros/Cupid became a main symbol for Valentine's Day.

What's in a Name?

The Greek word ἔρως (Eros) means 'desire' or 'love'. It comes from the word ἔραμαι, which means 'to desire' or 'to love'. Experts are not sure where the word originally came from.

How People Worshipped Eros

Eros was seen in different ways in ancient Greece. In the oldest stories, he was a primordial god. He was important in the creation of the world. Later, he was known as the son of Aphrodite. He would playfully interfere in the lives of gods and humans, causing them to fall in love. Sometimes, these loves were not allowed. In even later stories, he was shown as a blindfolded child. This image led to the chubby Cupid we see in Renaissance art. But in early Greek art, Eros was a young adult.

People did worship Eros in ancient Greece, but his cult was not as big as Aphrodite's. However, in later times, people in Thespiae worshipped Eros as a god of fertility. In Athens, he was worshipped alongside Aphrodite. The fourth day of every month was special for him.

The people of Thespiae held festivals for Eros called the Erotidia. He was also called Klêidouchos, which means "key-holder." This was because he was thought to hold the key to people's hearts.

The asteroid 433 Eros in modern astronomy is named after him.

Eros in Greek Myths

The First God

According to Hesiod's Theogony, written around 700 BC, Eros was one of the very first gods. He came into being after Chaos (empty space), Gaia (Earth), and Tartarus (the underworld).

The poet Homer does not mention Eros. But another early thinker, Parmenides, believed Eros was the very first god to exist.

In the Orphic Mysteries, a special religion, Eros was a very old god. He was the child of Night (Nyx). The writer Aristophanes, influenced by Orphism, described Eros's birth:

"At the beginning there was only Chaos, Night, dark Erebus, and deep Tartarus. Earth, the air and heaven had no existence. Firstly, blackwinged Night laid a germless egg in the bosom of the infinite deeps of Erebus, and from this, after the revolution of long ages, sprang the graceful Eros with his glittering golden wings, swift as the whirlwinds of the tempest."

In some stories, Eros was called "Protogonos," meaning "first-born." He was seen as the creator of all other beings and the first ruler of the universe.

Son of Aphrodite and Ares

In later myths, Eros was the son of Aphrodite and Ares. This is the Eros who is part of the Erotes. He was often shown carrying a lyre (a stringed instrument) or his bow and arrow. He was also seen with dolphins, flutes, roosters, roses, and torches.

• Here's what the goddess Hera said to Athena:

“We must have a word with Aphrodite. Let us go together and ask her to persuade her boy [Eros], if that is possible, to loose an arrow at Aeetes’ daughter, Medea of the many spells, and make her fall in love with Jason ...” (from Argonautica)

Eros and Psyche

The story of Eros and Psyche was a popular folktale long before it was written down. It tells about the journey of love and trust between Eros and Psyche.

Aphrodite was jealous of a mortal princess named Psyche. Men were leaving Aphrodite's altars to worship Psyche instead. So, Aphrodite told her son Eros to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest creature on Earth. But Eros accidentally fell in love with Psyche himself! He took her to his home.

Psyche's jealous sisters visited her and tricked her into not trusting her husband. Eros was hurt and left Psyche. Psyche then wandered the Earth, looking for her lost love. She eventually asked Aphrodite for help. Aphrodite gave Psyche many difficult tasks. Psyche was able to complete them with some magical help.

After finishing the tasks, Aphrodite finally agreed. Psyche became immortal and lived with her husband Eros. They had a daughter named Hedone, which means "pleasure."

In Greek mythology, Psyche was seen as the spirit of the human soul. She was often shown with butterfly wings. This is because the Greek word psyche also means "butterfly," as well as "soul" or "spirit."

Other Myths About Eros

Eros once made two friends of Artemis, Rhodopis and Euthynicus, fall in love. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and purity. His mother Aphrodite asked him to do this because the friends did not care about love or marriage. Artemis then turned Rhodopis into a fountain as punishment.

In another story, Eros and Aphrodite were playing in a meadow. They had a friendly competition to see who could gather the most flowers. Eros was winning because of his fast wings. But then a nymph named Peristera (meaning "dove") gathered some flowers and gave them to Aphrodite, making her win. Eros was upset and turned Peristera into a dove.

According to a philosopher named Porphyrius, Themis, the goddess of justice, helped Eros grow up. His mother Aphrodite complained to Themis that Eros stayed a child. Themis told her to give him a brother. So, Aphrodite gave birth to Anteros, meaning "counter-love." Whenever Anteros was near, Eros grew. But if Anteros was away, Eros would shrink back to his small size.

Another time, when Eros looked like a child, he tried to bend his bow. The god Apollo, who was also an archer, made fun of him. Apollo said Eros should leave weapons to older gods and bragged about killing a monster called Python. Eros got angry. He shot Apollo with a golden love arrow, making him fall in love with Daphne, a wood nymph. At the same time, he shot Daphne with a lead arrow, which made her hate love. Daphne ran away from Apollo. In the end, she turned into a tree to escape him.

Eros's Special Powers

Bow and Arrows

Eros is seen as a beautiful young man who carries a bow and powerful arrows. He uses them to make anyone fall deeply in love. A Roman writer named Ovid said Eros had two kinds of arrows. The first were golden arrows. These made people feel strong love and affection. The second kind were made of lead. These had the opposite effect, making people dislike love and feel hatred.

This is shown in the story of Daphne and Apollo. Eros made Apollo fall in love with Daphne, but made Daphne hate any romance. In another story, Eros used his strongest arrow to make the stern god Hades fall in love with Persephone.

Eros is a very powerful god. Even immortal gods cannot escape his arrows. The writer Lucian joked about this. In his stories, Zeus complains to Eros for making him fall in love with and trick many mortal women. Even Aphrodite tells Eros not to use all the gods as his toys. However, Eros could not affect the virgin goddesses like Hestia, Athena, and Artemis. They had all promised to stay pure.

Eros and the Bees

A common story in old poems is about Eros being stung by bees. One story, from the 6th century BC, says Eros ran to his mother Aphrodite crying. He had been stung by a bee and said the small creature was like a snake with wings. Aphrodite then asked him, if a bee's sting hurts so much, what does he think about the pain his own arrows cause?

Later, in the 4th century BC, Theocritus added to the story. Little Eros was stung by bees when he tried to steal honey from their hive. The bees stung all his fingers. He ran to his mother crying and wondered how such small creatures could cause so much pain. Aphrodite smiled and compared him to the bees. She said he was also small, but caused much greater pain than his size.

This story was told many times in ancient times and during the Renaissance.

God of Friendship and Freedom

Some ancient thinkers believed Eros was also the god of friendship and freedom.

The people of Samos, an island, built a gymnasium (a place for exercise) in honor of Eros. They held a festival called the Eleutheria, which means "liberty" or "freedom."

The Lacedaemonians (people from Sparta) offered sacrifices to Eros before battles. They believed that safety and victory depended on the friendship of those fighting together. The Cretans also offered sacrifices to Eros before going into battle.

Eros in Music

• Jose Antonio Bottiroli wrote a piano piece called Eros in B minor B37 in 1974.

Eros in Art

• Eros in art
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  Statue of Eros sleeping; 3rd–2nd century BC; bronze; 41.9 × 35.6 × 85.2 cm, 124.7 kg, height with base: 45.7 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)

See Also

In Spanish: Eros para niños

• Eros (concept)
• Greek words for love
• Kamadeva
• Family tree of the Greek gods
• Phanes (mythology)