EROS & PSYCHE

There was once a king who had three daughters, all lovely maidens, but the youngest
Psyche, excelled her sisters so great that beside them she seemed like a goddess
consorting with mere mortals. The fame of her surpassing beauty spread far and wide
and soon many people came to worship her as though she were a goddess.
Venus temples lay in filth and her favorite city lay in ruins, for now, all that cared for
Venus cared for Psyche. Venus grew jealous of Psyche and as always turned to her son
Cupid for help. She told Cupid to go to earth and shoot Psyche with an arrow as to
make her fall in love with the most despicable creature on the earth.
He would have done so if he was not first shown Psyche. It was as though Cupid
pierced his own heart with one of his arrows.
Venus left Cupid confident that he would carry out her orders. What happened next
Venus did not count on. Psyche did not fall in love with a horrible creature and still more
strange she did not fall in love at all.
All the men were content in worshiping and admiring her but no one ever truly loved her.
Both her sisters inexpressibly inferior to her had gotten married to kings and yet she sat
sad and solitary, only to be admired, not loved.
Her father in discourse turned to an oracle of Apollo for advice. The oracle said that
Cupid himself told him to say that Psyche be dressed in deepest mourning and placed
on the summit of a mountain to be taken away by a winged serpent, stronger than the
gods themselves, to make his wife.
Misery came as her father told the family the lamentable news. They dressed Psyche
up as though she was to attend her own funeral and walked with her to the top of the
hill. Though her parents wept grievously, she kept her courage and said she was glad
the time had come.
They went in despairing grief leaving her helpless on the top of the mountain and
returned to the palace and mourned all their days for her.
As she sat atop the mountain she wept and trembled not knowing what was to come.
Suddenly a warm breath of wind caressed her neck and she felt herself being lifted up
and away until she came down upon a soft meadow with flowers so fragrant.

As

So

will

but

She had forgotten all her fears here and fell asleep.
she woke beside a bright river; and on its bank was a
stately mansion that was fit for the gods themselves. .

awe-struck as she hesitated at the threshold, she

heard voices telling her the house was for her and
that she should bath and refresh and a banquet table
be set for her and then it told her they were her
servants.
The food and so delicious and the bath so refreshing.
While she dined, she heard sweet melodious music,
could not see who was playing. As the day passed
she began to feel reassured that she would soon
meet her husband.

As night came she heard the sweet whispers of her husband's voice in her ears and
realized that her husband was no monster or shape of terror, but the husband she had
so desperately longed for.
Psyche had not spoken with her sisters in some time and requested from her husband
that she bade them welcome to the palace. He said that this would bring bad fortune
upon her but she wept and wept and soon he gave in and granted her request.
Her sisters greeted her with tears and embraces. Both sisters became overcome with
jealousy as they realized their wealth was nothing in comparison with hers, they began
plotting a way to ruin her.
That very night Psyches husband warned her once more. Already Psyches sisters
realized Psyches contradictory remarks on the appearance of her husband and realized
she had not seen him before. They began to invoke feelings of suspicion and fear that
her husband was really the serpent that the oracle had said would come and that one
night he would devour her.
Psyches heart began to fill with terror and not love. She plotted that night that she
would sleep with a sharp knife and lamp near her bed, and that once her husband fell
fast asleep that she go to his bed and plunge the dagger into his body for it was

forsaken that she would see a hideously misshapen body of a monster.

She was confused she thought it was her loving husband, not a serpent monster, but it
also was her loving husband. She must have certainty, she finally decided one thing for
sure she would see him tonight. That night she mustered up the courage and lit the
lamp and tiptoed to her husband's bedside.
As the light came upon him, she realized it was not a monster but the most beautiful
man she had ever seen, overcome with shame at her mistrust she would have plunged
the dagger into her breast if it had not fallen from her hands.
But the same hands that saved her betrayed her, as she trembled a drop of hot oil from
the lamp fell on her husbands shoulder and he began to wake. At the sight of this
infidelity, he fled without a word.
Psyche fled into the night in search of her husband, she traveled far and wide in search
for him. Meanwhile her husband had gone to Venus chamber to have his wound cared
for, but as soon as she heard the story she left her him in his pain as she became even
more overcome with jealousy.
She vowed to show Psyche what it felt like to bring down the wrath of a goddess.
Psyches search was to no avail, she had not found her husband so she went to Venus
herself. Venus would grant her her wish if she completed the task of separating a great
quantity of the smallest seeds by night fall.
As she sat there alone she realized that this was an impossible task to complete. No
one had heard Psyches prayers for they did not want to become an enemy of Venus.
But the the tiniest of creatures felt sympathy for her. The ants began to sort the seeds
for Psyche. All the seeds lay in ordered neat piles.
This is what Venus saw when she came. "Your work is by no means done" said Venus.
She gave Psyche a piece of crust and bade her sleep on the ground as she left to her
soft fragrant couch. The next morning, she devised another task for Psyche, this time a
dangerous one.
There were sheep down near the riverbank with golden fleece. She was to fetch some
fleece and bring it back to Venus. As she reached the river, she had the urge to hurl
herself into it ending all her pains, but a voice bade her not to. The voice instructed her
to wait till the sheep came out of the bushes toward the evening for the sheep were
indeed very fierce.
She did as she was told and once the sheep left she gathered the fleece from the sharp
briars and she carried it back to her cruel mistress.

Venus received it with an evil smile. Venus knew that Psyche could not have
accomplished this alone and said that she must prove herself by obtaining a flask filled
with water from the river Styx.
As she approached the waterfall, she realized that only a winged creature could reach
it. This time her savior was an eagle, who poised with great wings beside her, seized
the flask from her with his beak and brought it back to her full of the black water.
But Venus kept on. She sent Psyche with a box which she was to carry to the
underworld and ask Persephone to fill with some of her beauty. Psyche found her guide
in a tower on her path. It gave her careful directions on how to get to Persephone's
palace.
All had happened as the her guide had told her and Persephone was willing to do
Venus a favor, and Psyche, greatly encouraged, bore back the box.
The last trial was brought upon herself out of curiosity. She wished to see the beautycharm in the box and perhaps use some herself for she must look beautiful if she was to
see the God of Love again. She opened the box but nothing was to be found inside
suddenly a deadly languor took possession of her as she fell into a heavy sleep.
At this point, Cupid stepped forward, Cupid was healed from his wound and had fled the
palace by flying through the windows for Venus had locked him in his chamber.
Cupid picked Psyche up and wiped the sleep from her eyes and placed it into the box.
Cupid told her to take the box to his mother and all would be fine.
To make sure Cupid flew up to Mount Olympus and spoke with Jupiter himself. Although
Cupid had done Jupiter harm previously by making him turn into a bull and a swan, he
agreed to help him.
Jupiter summoned all the gods, including Venus, and announced the marriage of Cupid
and Psyche. Mercury brought Psyche to the palace of the gods, and Jupiter himself
gave her the ambrosia to make her immortal.
Venus was in turn satisfied for with Psyche up in Heaven, she would not command
attention from the men on earth.
So all came to a most happy end. Love and Soul (for that is what Psyche means) had
sought and, after sore trials, found each other; that union could never be broken.

The Love Story of Pyramus and Thisbe

Pyramus was the most handsome of young men and Thisbe was the fairest
beauty of the East. ~Ovid in Metamorphoses Pyramus and Thisbe lived in Babylonia
and from the time they were
young, were neighbors. They
played together daily as children
and fell in love as they grew
older. Although neighbors, their
families were hostile to one
another so the love between
Pyramus and Thisbe remained
a
secret. They had a special
meeting place at a wall between
their houses. This particular wall
bore a scar. A large crack marred its smooth surface as a result of an earthquake long
ago. Pyramus and Thisbe communicated through this crack when it was risky to see
one another. One particularly magnificent day, they arrived at their usual meeting place.
The beauty of the day made them lament their situation all the more. They cried as they
watched two hummingbirds fly over the wall together. Suddenly they came to the
decision that they would not be stopped from being together any longer. They decided
to meet that night outside the city gates under a mulberry tree filled white fruit. This
particular tree grew near a stream next to the local cemetery. Thisbe, hidden by a veil,
arrived at the appointed spot first and waited patiently for Pyramus to come. All of a
sudden, a lioness fresh from a kill, her jaws covered in blood, slunk out of the brush to
satisfy her thirst at the stream. Thisbe, frightened by this disturbance, ran to a nearby
cave. In her haste, she dropped her veil and the lioness grabbed it and shredded it with
her bloody jaws. Meanwhile, Pyramus had arrived at the meeting place. As he
approached the tree he could not help but notice the large paw prints of the lioness. His
heart beat faster. As he approached the stream, his fears were confirmed upon seeing
Thisbes veil torn and bloodstained. Unable to find Thisbe and fearing that she was
dead, Pyramus was unable to contain his sorrow. He drew his sword and plunged it
deeply into his side. As he removed the sword from his side, blood sprayed the white
fruit on the tree, turning it a dark purple color. Meanwhile, Thisbe, recovered from her
fright, came back to the meeting place by the stream. There she saw Pyramus body
lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Racked with uncontrollable agony, she took his
sword and threw her body onto it. With her dying breath, she pleaded with the gods that
their bodies be buried in a single tomb and that the tree in the special meeting place
would always bear fruit in the color of a dark and mournful color in memory of their
unrequited love. To this day, the berries of the mulberry tree always turn dark purple in
color when they are ripe.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope, the Muse. Apollo gave his son a lyre and taught him
how to play; Orpheus did to such perfection that even Apollo was surprised. It is said that nothing
could resist to his music and melody, neither friends nor enemies or beasts. Even trees and rocks
were

entranced

Orpheus

music.
with Eurydice a woman of

got

married and lived happily for

many years. Hymen was

called to bless the marriage

and he predicted that their

perfection was not meant to

beauty;

in

his
love

unique

fell

with
they

last for years.

At some time, soon after his

omen,

wandering in the forest with

the Nymphs, when Aristaeus,

a shepherd saw her and was

beguiled by her beauty. He

started

and

making advances on her.

Eurydice got scared and

tried to escape, but she was

chasing

her

Eurydice

was

bitten by a snake and died.

Orpheus sang his grief with his lyre and managed to move everything living or not on the world; both
humans and Gods were deeply touched by his sorrow and grief.
Apollo then advised his son to descend to the Hades and see his wife. Any other mortal would have
died, but Orpheus protected by the Gods, went to the Hades and arrived at the infamous Stygian
realm, passing by ghosts and souls of people unknown. He also managed to charm Cerberus, the
known monster with the three heads. Orpheus presented himself in front of the God of the
Underworld Hades (Pluto) and his wife Persephone.
Orpheus started playing for them and even the cold heart of Hades started melting, due to the
melodies coming from Orpheus lyre. Hades told Orpheus that he could take Eurydice with him but
under one condition; Eurydice would follow him while walking out to the light from the caves of the
Underworld, but he should not look at her before coming out to the light because he would lose her
forever. If Orpheus was patient enough he would have Eurydice as a normal woman again on his
side.
Orpheus was delighted; he thanked the Gods and left to ascend to the world. He was trying to hear
Eurydices steps, but he could not hear anything and he started believing that the Gods had fooled
him. Of course Eurydice was behind him, but as a shadow, waiting to come to light to become a full

woman again. Only a few feet away from the exit, Orpheus lost his faith and turned to see; he was
Eurydice behind him, but her shadow was whisked back among the dead. Eurydice was gone
forever.
Orpheus tried to return to the Underworld but a man cannot enter the Hades twice, not alive anyway.
Here, there are two different versions of the same myth. According to the first version, Orpheus
started playing a mourning song with his lyre, calling for death so that he can be united with Eurydice
forever. Beasts tore him apart, or maybe the Maenads, in a frenzy mood. According to another
version, Zeus decided to strike him with a lightning because Orpheus would reveal the secrets of the
Underworld to the humans.
In any case, Orpheus died but the Muses decided to save his head and keep it among the living
people to sing for ever, enchanting everyone with the lovely melodies and tones.

Selene & Endymion

The name Endymion is not one that is
unique to the world of Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon. Like many, many aspects of
the
series, Endymion is inherited from ancient
Greek mythology. There are several
different versions of the same basic story,
but
I will try my best to make this as coherent
as
possible.
Endymion was a young, handsome mortal
man. Some versions of the story say that
he
was a simple shepherd; others claim he
was the King of Elis. Regardless, the Moon
Goddess Selene laid eyes on him one
night and fell in love with him. The love between an immortal and a mortal was
forbidden, making this romance interesting in a Romeo and Juliet sort of way. Of course
since Selene was a goddess, she would stay eternally young and beautiful. Endymion,
on the other hand, would eventually succumb to time, age, and death, as mortals do.
Selene then put Endymion into eternal sleep, keeping him deathless. This way she
could gaze upon him lovingly every night, and he would never grow any older. It is said
that Selene bore Endymion fifty daughters during this time. While Selene had been
engaged in love affairs before him, it is said that she stayed true to Endymion, even
after he was put into eternal sleep. "Selene's moon rays fell upon sleeping mortals, and
her kisses fell upon her love, Endymion..."
The Love Story of Baucis and Philemon - How the Lindex and Oak Trees grew

Although the home of Zeus was up above the cloud-capped mountains, in a beautiful country where
there was perpetual sunshine, where fell neither drenching rains nor heavy snows, the great god
often came down to the earth. Disguised as a mortal, he wandered to and fro, mingling with the
people and feeling glad and sorry with them. The people of Greece had very strange ideas about the
earth

in

those

far-away

childish days. They knew all

about their own fair country, for
they had climbed its mountains
and traversed its valleys; but
beyond these were strange
regions,

about

which

they

thought a great deal, although

they knew but little. They
thought that the earth was flat,

like

a great shield; that their own

country was in the centre; and that the home of the gods was Mount Olympus, which rose above
them, like the central point on the great brass shields which you have seen. They thought that the
great River-Ocean flowe'd around the earth, and poured its waters into the Aegean Sea and the seas
about which they knew.
North of them was the beautiful land of the Hyperboreans, in which country were the happiest of
people, who spent their time in singing and dancing, laughing and dreaming, a careless, idle people,
doing no work, never growing old. and always free from sickness or war. A poet has written one of
the songs of these joyous Hyperboreans. South of Greece was a country quite as beautiful, and a
people quite as happy.-the god-favored Ethiopians. On the west were the Isles of the Blessed, where
good people were taken by the gods, and where they lived forever in happiness. So you see the
Greeks knew very little about the countries around them; for we have learned that these are very
strange and useless beliefs about the earth.
When we think that other places are so much better than our own, and that happiness can be found
everywhere else than in our own little corner of the world, we, like the Greeks, are believers in a land
of the Hyperboreans, into which we cannot expect to enter. Zeus often visited these strange and
blissful regions; and he chose Hermes for a companion, because lie had the winged cap and
sandals, and could travel rapidly. Then, too, Hermes was a famous storyteller; and who does not
love to listen to a good story? Hermes' stories were his own. They were not always true; but they
pleased the dignified and stately Zeus, nevertheless.

Baucus and Philemon with Zeus and Hermes

One day Hermes and Zeus had walked for a long distance in search of the Elysian Plains. They
were weary and footsore, and they had travelled over steep mountains and through sunny valleys
without having found a path. They had made frequent inquiries, but each person whom they asked
had told them to go in a different direction. So they decided to give up the search until the next day;
and just as Helios was driving far down in the west, they came to a village, nestled close beneath a
high mountain. Hermes and Zeus were dressed like mortals; their clothes were dusty and torn, and
they looked like very ordinary travellers. At the outskirts of the village, they came to a fine large
house with marble pillars, around which were great shady trees inviting rest. Hermes said, " Let us
go in here. This will be a nice place to rest."
So they walked up to the arched portico, and would have entered, but a richly dressed man came
out and bade them begone. Again and again they sought rest at different houses, with no better
success. In this manner they passed through the village. At length they came to a little tumble-down
house with which the West Wind had played many a rough game. Two old people were sitting on a
rude bench by the door; and at sight of the travellers, they both arose and welcomed them gladly.
They gave up their bench; the housewife brought water in a wooden bowl; while the man unfastened
their sandals, and helped them to bathe their faces, hands, and feet. Inside the house the good lady
spread a coarse cloth upon the table, and began to get supper.
To the wearied and hungry travellers, all this was very pleasant indeed. To be treated as if they were
long-expected guests was as delightful to Hermes and Zeus then as it is to mortals now. They began
to talk to the old man, who seemed cheerful and happy in spite of his poverty. " To whom do we owe
this pleasure?" ' asked Zeus. "This is Baucis, my wife," and "That is Philemon, my husband," they
both answered, almost in the same breath. They were too polite to ask who the strangers were or
where they were going.
They talked of the harvest and about the games in which some of the young men of the village had
taken part, and had been victorious. Then they went into the house, with its one room, a rickety old
table, and shaky chairs. Baucis began to say how sorry she was that she had nothing better to offer.
She had only cakes, grapes, and milk; and these' did not seem very much for two hungry people.
Baucis and Philemon said that they were not at all hungry, and urged their guests to eat all that there
was in the dishes. And how they did eat! The dishes were nearly empty; one cake and the last bunch
of grapes remained, and there was no more milk in the pitcher, when Hermes politely asked for
more.

Baucis tipped the pitcher to pour out the last drop, when, lo! it was full to the brim of rich and
sparkling nectar, while each humble dish was turned into a glittering vessel of gold, filled with rare
dainties, such as Baucis and Philemon had never dreamed of. They were now invited to the feast,
and they fell upon their knees, for they discovered that their visitors were the gods themselves.
"Good Baucis and Philemon," said Zeus, "ye have shown us the true beauty of hospitality, and ye
are deserving of gifts worthy of those whom ye have served. Rise and follow us."
The gods led the way to the top of a hill, and there, pausing, bade Baucis and Philemon look back.
The whole scene had changed. They saw no longer the village with its white houses among the
trees, but, instead, a blue and sparkling lake. Tn the midst of this lake, on an island, stood their old
home; and as they looked, it began to change. Slowly its crumbling walls rose into tall and stately
columns, and the old roof became the pediment of a beautiful temple. On the pediment were statues
of Zeus and the gods. " This shall be your home," said Zeus. " It is a temple sacred to Zeus, and it
shall be taken care of by those who know well how to care for the needs of others. Is there a wish
you would have granted?" " Great father Zeus," said Baucis, u we pray that we may never part, but
that we may go together to the land of the afternoon."
One day Baucis and Philemon were standing before the temple; and as they looked lovingly into
each other's eyes, Baucis said, " Ah Philemon, would that we could remain here always!" She had
scarcely spoken these words, when Philemon was changed into a beautiful tree; and looking down
at her feet, she saw that she herself was changing. So Baucis became a beautiful linden, and
Philemon a strong and sturdy oak. For years they stood before the temple, and with each passing
breeze, they whispered loving words to each other.