Eros: Greek God of Love, Sex, and Fertility
Eros: The Greek God of Love
Origins and Family
In Greek mythology, Eros was the primordial god of sexual attraction, love, and sex, also revered as a god of fertility. Some myths claim him to be the son of Aphrodite and Ares. However, Plato’s Symposium offers a different account, suggesting Eros was conceived by Poros (abundance) and Penia (poverty) at Aphrodite’s birthday. This duality explains love’s multifaceted nature.
Like Dionysus, Eros was sometimes called Eleuterio, meaning ‘the liberator.’ His Roman equivalent was Cupid (‘Desire’), also known as Amor (‘Love’).
Role and Influence
According to Eratosthenes, Eros primarily served as the patron of male love, while Aphrodite presided over the love between men and women. Statues of Eros were present in gymnasia, popular meeting places for men and their beloved. Spartans offered sacrifices to him before battles. Meleager highlighted this role in a poem preserved in the Anthology: “Queen Aphrodite fuels the fire that maddens men for women, but Eros himself ignites the passion between men.”
Dual Conceptions of Eros
Greek thought presents two distinct conceptions of Eros. First, as a primeval deity embodying not only erotic love but also the creative force of nature. He is the firstborn Light responsible for the cosmos’ creation and order. In Hesiod’s Theogony, Eros emerged after primordial Chaos, alongside Gaia (Earth) and Tartarus (underworld). Aristophanes’ The Birds depicts Eros hatching from an egg laid by Night (Nix), impregnated by Darkness (Erebus). In the Eleusinian Mysteries, he was worshipped as Protogono (‘firstborn’).
Alternatively, Eros is portrayed as the son of Aphrodite and either Ares, Hermes, or Hephaestus. Other accounts name Poros and Penia, or Iris and Zephyrus, as his parents. In these versions, Eros acts as Aphrodite’s attendant, directing the primordial force of love towards mortals. Some traditions mention his brothers: Anteros (requited love) and Himerus (sexual desire).
Worship and Mythology
While initially uncommon, Eros’s worship later spread throughout ancient Greece. A fertility cult in Thespiae fervently revered him, and he played a significant role in the Eleusinian Mysteries. In Athens, he shared a popular cult with Aphrodite, with the fourth day of each month dedicated to them.
Angered by Apollo’s mockery of his archery skills, Eros made him fall in love with the nymph Daphne, daughter of Ladon. Daphne, rejecting Apollo’s advances, prayed to the river god Peneus and transformed into a laurel tree, which became sacred to Apollo.
Eros and Psyche
The tale of Eros and Psyche, a well-known folktale in the Greco-Roman world, predates its first written appearance in Apuleius’s Latin novel The Golden Ass. This story, a digression within the novel, mirrors the main plot and explores the themes of love and trust between Eros and Psyche. Psyche’s name, meaning ‘soul’ or ‘mind,’ reflects her complex nature.
Jealous of Psyche’s beauty, Aphrodite commanded Eros to make her fall in love with the ugliest man alive. However, Eros fell in love with Psyche himself and magically brought her to his home. Their fragile peace was shattered by Psyche’s jealous sisters, who betrayed her trust. Wounded, Eros banished Psyche, who then wandered the earth searching for her lost love. Apuleius concludes the story with Eros and Psyche’s daughter, Hedone (‘pleasure’).
References
- Bartsch, Shadi; Bartscherer, Thomas (2005). Erotikon: Essays on Eros, ancient and modern. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Bataille, Georges (1989). The Tears of Eros. San Francisco: City Lights Books.
- Calame, Claude (1999). The Poetics of Eros in Ancient Greece. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Carson, Anne (1986). Eros the Bittersweet: An Essay. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Martin, Hubert Jr. (April 1969). “Amatorius, 756 EF: Plutarch’s Citation of Parmenides and Hesiod.” The American Journal of Philology 90 (2): 183-200.
- Nygren, Anders (1969). Eros and Agape. The Christian notion of love and its transformations. Barcelona: Sagittarius.