Psyche

Admittedly, many of the targets of Eros’s passionate quarrels are often mortal, although this is not always the case. When he was sent to cause Psyche, the youngest daughter of a king, to fall in love, he was so surprised by her beauty that he accidentally pricked himself with his own arrow, immediately falling in love with the sleeping princess. Psyche herself is of particular interest among winged gods in ancient Greece. Although the majority of other winged gods appear with feathery avian wings, Psyche is the only one who is depicted with butterfly wings. One possible reason for this is because “the metamorphosis of the butterfly inspired many to use butterflies as a symbol of the soul’s exit from the body.” In fact, the Greek word Psyche literally means butterfly. The butterfly is also an inherent symbol of change, starting as a caterpillar, transforming inside a cocoon and eventually bursting forth as a creature of infinitely more beauty. A figurine held in The Louvre’s collection, shows Psyche’s butterfly wings clearly. However, another figurine in their collection excellently displays the connection between Psyche and Eros. Psyche is seen carrying a winged Eros on her back. This figurine is an example of how Psyche was a harbinger in Greek mythology, quite literally carrying one of the most influential gods to human lives in Greek culture.