Venus (Aphrodite) in Cupid and Psyche

Venus (Aphrodite) in Cupid and Psyche

Venus (called Aphrodite by the Greeks) may be the goddess of beauty and love, but in the story of "Cupid and Psyche," she gets downright ugly and hateful. When men start worshiping the beautiful mortal princess, Psyche, the jealous Venus sends her son Cupid to punish the girl. The tables are turned on Venus, however, when Cupid himself falls in love with the Psyche. The last thing Venus wants is a gorgeous daughter-in-law.

Later on, Venus forces Psyche to complete lots of nearly impossible tasks. In the end, it takes the intervention of the king of the gods, Jupiter (a.k.a. Zeus), to calm this jealous lady down. The story of "Cupid and Psyche" shows us that love and beauty aren't always nice.

For a lot more dirt on Venus, check out our "Aphrodite (Venus) Files."