Eros

Eros had two very different identities in Greek mythology. In Hesiod's ancient cosmogony, Eros was one of the primordial deities who emerged at the beginning of creation — a fundamental cosmic force that drove all beings toward union and reproduction. Without Eros, nothing could come together; the universe would remain inert.

In later mythology, Eros was reimagined as the son of Aphrodite and Ares (or Hermes) — a beautiful, winged youth armed with a bow and arrows. Those struck by his golden arrows fell madly in love; those hit by his lead arrows were filled with aversion.

His most famous myth is his love for the mortal princess Psyche. Eros visited Psyche only in darkness, forbidding her from seeing his face. When curiosity led her to light a lamp, a drop of hot oil woke him and he fled. Psyche wandered the world searching for him, completing impossible tasks set by Aphrodite, until Zeus reunited the lovers and made Psyche immortal.