Psyche (Soul)
conceptThe Greek concept of the soul — originally meaning breath, it evolved to encompass mind, self, and the immortal essence.
The Myth
Psyche originally meant breath — the animating force that leaves the body at death. In Homer, the psyche is a shade, a diminished copy of the living person that flits to Hades as an insubstantial ghost. Achilles's famous declaration that he would rather be a living slave than king of the dead reflects this early conception: the Homeric psyche is barely conscious. But the concept evolved dramatically. The Orphic and Pythagorean traditions taught that the psyche was immortal and divine, trapped in the body as punishment and destined to undergo cycles of reincarnation until purified. Plato synthesized these ideas in the Phaedrus, comparing the soul to a charioteer (reason) driving two horses (spirit and appetite). He argued the soul is self-moving, and what is self-moving is immortal — therefore the soul cannot die. The myth of Psyche and Eros, told by Apuleius, literalises the philosophical journey: the soul (Psyche) achieves immortality through love (Eros).
Fun Fact
Psychology literally means the study of the breath-soul — the Greeks believed consciousness was somehow linked to breathing.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Eros
conceptIn the oldest myths, Eros was a primordial force — one of the first beings to emerge from Chaos,...
Eros (Olympian)
godThe Olympian Eros was the mischievous winged god of love — son of Aphrodite, whose golden arrows...
Psyche
heroPsyche was a princess so beautiful that Aphrodite was jealous — she married Eros in darkness and...
Eros (Cosmic Force)
conceptIn Hesiod's cosmogony, Eros was not a cherub but a primordial force — the desire that compels all...
Orphic Mysteries
conceptAn initiatory religious tradition attributed to the mythical poet Orpheus, teaching reincarnation,...
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Achilles (Wrath)
heroThe swift-footed son of Peleus and Thetis whose wrath drives the Iliad and whose choice between...
Eros (Primordial)
primordialIn Hesiod's Theogony, Eros was one of the first beings to emerge from Chaos — a primordial force of...
Hades
godRuler of the underworld and lord of the dead. Despite his fearsome reputation, Hades was not evil —...
Hades (God)
godHades was the lord of the underworld who received the dead — feared but not evil, wealthy from...
Hades (Unseen One)
godThe ruler of the Underworld who received the dead, guarded by Cerberus and feared so deeply that...
Charon (Ferryman)
godFerryman of the dead who transported souls across the river Styx in exchange for a coin placed...