The Primordial Archer

In the most ancient Greek sources, Eros was no mere cherub… he was one of the primordial gods involved in the creation of the cosmos itself. The pre-Socratic philosopher Parmenides depicted Eros as the very first deity to emerge into existence. Hesiod’s Theogony listed him as the fourth god after Chaos, Earth, and Tartarus. Some Orphic traditions portrayed Eros as hatching from the cosmic egg at the dawn of creation, crafting the universe through his primal powers of love and attraction.

The Son of Aphrodite

However, in later myths, Eros took on a different guise – that of the winged son of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Carrying a bow and arrows that could pierce the hearts of gods and mortals alike, this mischievous Eros delighted in causing newly formed bonds of passion and romance. He was often depicted as a handsome youth attending his mother, though sometimes he appeared as an impish child figure.

Eros and Psyche

Eros features prominently in the famous tale of Eros and Psyche from Apuleius’ novel The Golden Ass. Jealous of the beauty of the mortal princess Psyche, Aphrodite commanded Eros to make Psyche fall for a hideous creature. But Eros himself fell for Psyche instead and whisked her away to his home. After Psyche betrayed Eros’ trust, he abandoned her, leading her to a harrowing quest to regain his love by performing daunting tasks set by the wrathful Aphrodite. In the end, their love triumphed when Zeus immortalized Psyche.

Arrows of Love and Hate

According to the Roman poet Ovid, Eros possessed two types of arrows. His golden arrows had the power to fill any target’s heart with unquenchable desire and affection. But his lead arrows produced an opposing effect, filling souls with an aversion to love. Eros used these contrastingly potent volleys to make Apollo burn with passion for the nymph Daphne while afflicting Daphne herself with hatred of Apollo’s advances.

The Scorned Virgin Huntresses

Eros’ charms held sway over even the virgin goddesses pledged to chastity… all except the three who steadfastly spurned his domain of love. The Anacreontea relates how Eros lamented being unable to wound Hestia, Athena, and Artemis with his arrows. Yet Eros did not hesitate to make other companions of the huntress Artemis fall for each other against their wishes when Aphrodite took offense at their rejection of romance.

Stung by Desire’s Sweet Pain

Ancient poets loved to retell the story of the time a bee stung the infantile Eros after he tried to steal honey from its hive. The tiny archer ran crying to his mother Aphrodite about the agonizing pain from such a seemingly small creature. Aphrodite’s reply? Just as the bee inflicts pain greater than its size, so too do Eros’ own arrows pierce deeper than his cherubic form would suggest.

Though depicted as a mischievous, even capricious figure, the Greek myths of Eros conveyed the primal, insuppressible power of love and desire over all… both human and divine. With his iconic bow trained ever at the ready, this winged archer took delight in upending lives with passion’s sweet pain.