Psyche was the youngest of three princesses. She was so stunningly beautiful that people stopped worshipping Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love) and started worshipping Psyche instead. They scattered rose petals before her. This was a dangerous mistake in Greek mythology stories.
Aphrodite, looking down from Mount Olympus, was furious. Her temples were empty. "A mortal girl dare steal my glory?" she hissed. She called her son, Eros (also known as Cupid), the god of desire. She gave him a cruel order: "Make her fall in love with the ugliest, most terrible monster on earth."
Eros flew down to Psyche’s bedroom while she slept. He prepared one of his golden arrows. But as he looked at her, he was startled by her beauty. He accidentally pricked his own finger with the arrow. Instantly, the god of love fell deeply in love with the mortal girl. He refused to curse her.
Meanwhile, Psyche was unhappy because no one wanted to marry her (men were too intimidated). Her father went to the Oracle of Delphi. Influenced by Eros, the Oracle said: "Dress her in black and leave her on a mountain crag. She is not meant for a mortal, but for a winged monster that even the gods fear."
Psyche, showing incredible bravery, accepted her fate to save her family. She was led to the cliffside in a funeral procession. Alone in the dark, she waited for the monster to devour her. Instead, a gentle wind (Zephyrus) lifted her up and carried her softly into a valley.
She woke up in a magnificent palace made of gold and crystal. Invisible servants attended to her, bringing delicious food and playing music. It was a paradise, but it was empty of people.
That night, in total darkness, her husband came to her. He was gentle and kind, with a voice like honey. He was no monster. "You may have everything," he told her, "but you must never try to see my face. If you see me, our happiness will end." This test of trust is central to the story of Eros and Psyche.
Psyche was happy for a time, but she was lonely. She asked to see her sisters. Eros warned her: "They will bring ruin." But Psyche begged, and he agreed. When the sisters saw Psyche’s wealth, they were consumed by envy. They planted a seed of doubt: "He hides his face because he is a serpent waiting to eat you!"
Terrified by her sisters' lies, Psyche broke her promise. One night, while Eros slept, she lit an oil lamp and took a knife. She crept to the bed, ready to kill the monster.
The light revealed not a monster, but the most beautiful of all gods. Eros lay there with golden wings and curls. Psyche was so shocked that her hand trembled. A drop of hot oil fell from the lamp and landed on Eros’s shoulder.
Eros woke up in pain. He saw the knife and the lamp. His eyes filled with sadness. "Love cannot live without trust," he said. He spread his wings and flew out the window. The magnificent palace vanished, leaving Psyche alone in the cold wilderness.
Psyche wandered the earth, looking for her lost love. She prayed to all the goddesses, but none would help her against Aphrodite. Finally, desperate, she went to Aphrodite herself to beg for forgiveness.
Aphrodite laughed at her. "If you want him back, you must prove you are worthy." She threw a giant pile of mixed grains (wheat, barley, poppy) onto the floor. "Sort this before sunset, or die." It was impossible. But an ant took pity on Psyche and called an army of ants to finish the work.
Furious, Aphrodite pointed to a field of dangerous, man-eating sheep with golden fleece. "Bring me their wool." Psyche was about to give up, but a river reed whispered to her: "Wait until noon when they sleep in the shade, and pick the wool stuck to the briars." Psyche survived again.
Aphrodite demanded a jar of water from the source of the River Styx, located on a high, slippery cliff guarded by dragons. This connects to the [Story of Achilles]. Zeus’s eagle (repaying a favor to Eros) swooped down, took the jar, and filled it for her.
"Go to the Underworld," Aphrodite commanded. "Ask Queen [Persephone] for a box of her beauty." Psyche descended into the realm of the dead, paid Charon, and tricked Cerberus (using barley cakes). Persephone gave her the box.
On her way back, Psyche thought, "I look terrible. I should take a little beauty for myself to please Eros." She opened the box. But it contained no beauty—only "Infernal Sleep." Psyche fell to the ground, as if dead.
Eros, having recovered from his burn, could no longer bear being apart. He escaped his mother’s palace and found Psyche sleeping. He gently wiped the sleep from her eyes and put it back in the box. "Curiosity almost killed you again," he smiled.
Eros knew his mother would never stop. He flew to Mount Olympus and asked Zeus for help. Zeus, amused by the drama, called a council. He declared that Psyche had suffered enough and proved her love.
Zeus gave Psyche ambrosia, the drink of the gods. She became immortal. She grew butterfly wings (Psyche means "Soul" and "Butterfly" in Greek). Aphrodite finally accepted her (mostly because now Psyche was a goddess and couldn't be a mortal rival). Eros and Psyche married, and they had a daughter named Pleasure.
