The Greek Matchmaker

By Faith Crippen

As most everyone knows, Valentine's is a bubbly day meant for couples to celebrate their love for one another. The very origins are a bit tricky and jumbled, so instead of boring you

with a grueling, complicated history, we're going to take a glance at Eros, the Greek god of

love! You most likely know Eros as Cupid, the winged baby portrayed in ancient paintings,

sporting a magical bow and arrows. Much of the holiday has been derived from him and

his role in Greek mythology. Plus, February is all about spreading love, which Eros just

happened to specialize in – literally!

Let's take a glimpse at his life. Son of Aphrodite and either Zeus, Hermes, or Ares, Eros was

very mischievous from a young age, so much so you would imagine him to be the god of

mischief itself. Most of the other gods and goddesses considered him a troublemaking

nuisance, and with valid reasons so. Once, Eros struck the sun god, Apollo, with one of his

arrows, causing him to fall madly in love with the nymph, Daphne. Apollo chased after

Daphne until she cried out to Mother Earth and was then transformed into a tree. Naturally,

Apollo was heartbroken and furious with Cupid.

Eros is also commonly related with the start of the Trojan war. He is accused of striking the

Greek queen, Helen, with one of his arrows, causing her to fall in love with Paris, the

prince of Troy. Angered by the taking of their queen, Greece waged war on Troy.

After several more troublesome incidents, Eros finally received a taste of his own medicine when his love interest, Psyche, was kidnapped by his mother, Aphrodite. Though the two are eventually able to reunite, this teaches Eros a lesson in the fact that his careless actions

may backfire on himself. Though reckless and immature, Cupid is considered to be very

handsome and inspirational. Despite him not being a favorite amongst the Greek gods,

Eros remains an essential character in the lore of Valentine's day.

Works Cited:

Cartwright, Mark. "Eros"; Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 11 Feb. 2020, www.ancient.eu/Eros/

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Eros." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 9 Aug. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Eros-Greek-god