Cupid
Roman god of erotic love and desire, son of Venus, equivalent to the Greek Eros
The Myth of Cupid
Cupid is perhaps the most recognisable figure from Roman mythology, though the chubby winged baby of Valentine's cards bears little resemblance to the ancient deity. The Romans inherited a complex figure: sometimes a powerful primordial force, sometimes a mischievous child. The most famous Roman telling of his story is Apuleius's tale of Cupid and Psyche from The Golden Ass, in which Cupid falls in love with a mortal princess and must defy his jealous mother Venus to be with her. This story, with its themes of love conquering obstacles and the soul's journey, became one of the most influential myths in Western art and literature, inspiring works from Raphael to C.S. Lewis.
Parents
Venus and Mars
Children
Voluptas
Symbols
Fun Fact
The tale of Cupid and Psyche, written by Apuleius around 170 AD, is often considered the world's first fairy tale
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Himeros
⚡ godDesire and longing
God of immediate desire and passionate longing, companion of Aphrodite from her birth
Aphrodite
⚡ godGoddess of love, desire, and beauty
The goddess born from sea-foam whose power over desire could override the will of gods and mortals alike.
Aphrodite
⚡ godGoddess of love, beauty, desire
Goddess of love and beauty, born from the sea foam. Aphrodite's power to inspire desire was so great that even the gods were not immune.
Eros
⚡ godGod of love and desire
The Olympian Eros was the mischievous winged god of love — son of Aphrodite, whose golden arrows caused irresistible desire and whose lead arrows caused revulsion.
Eros
💭 conceptPrimordial god of love and desire
In the oldest myths, Eros was a primordial force — one of the first beings to emerge from Chaos, the power that draws all things together. Later reimagined as Aphrodite's mischievous son.
Eros and Psyche
💭 conceptNarrative
The love story between the god of desire and a mortal princess that became an allegory of the soul's journey
Pothos
⚡ godGod of longing and yearning
Pothos was the god of yearning, longing, and desire for the absent — one of the Erotes (love spirits) who accompanied Aphrodite.
Venus
⚡ godLove, beauty, desire, fertility
Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, identified with the Greek Aphrodite but also revered as ancestress of the Roman people
Erato
⚡ godLyric and love poetry
Muse of lyric and erotic poetry who inspires romantic verse and song
Erotic
💭 conceptDesire, sensuality, romantic passion
Relating to sexual love or desire, from Eros, the god of love and attraction.
Hera
⚡ godQueen of the gods, marriage, family, childbirth
Queen of the Olympian gods and goddess of marriage. Known for her jealous rages against Zeus's lovers and their children.
Ganymede
🗡 heroCup-bearer of the gods
A beautiful Trojan prince abducted by Zeus to serve as cup-bearer on Olympus. Ganymede became immortal and was placed among the stars as the constellation Aquarius.