Psyche << SY kee >> was a princess in ancient mythology. She was so beautiful that people turned to worshiping her instead of Venus, goddess of love. Venus became angry and sent her son Cupid (Love) to punish her. However, Cupid fell in love with Psyche and carried her off to his fairyland palace of gold and gems. Cupid visited Psyche only at night and told her that, if she ever saw him in the light, he must leave her forever. But Psyche, urged by her wicked sisters, one night lighted a lamp to see Cupid as he slept. He awoke and left her.
In her grief, Psyche searched for Cupid, finally arriving at the palace where Venus was living. The goddess made Psyche her slave and gave her four nearly impossible tasks. Psyche performed the first three, but in the fourth, a visit to the queen of the underworld, Psyche failed and became trapped in the underworld. Cupid, however, rescued her. With the help of Jupiter, king of the gods, Cupid won Venus’ forgiveness and made Psyche a goddess and his wife. See Cupid.
The story of Cupid and Psyche has been interpreted symbolically. According to this interpretation, Psyche (which means soul in Greek) represents the human soul’s encounter with love and passion (Cupid) and its struggle to achieve immortality.
