Selene, Psyche with Eros, and Persephone and Hades

This bright and clear Titanian goddess, about whom very little has been said, and who shines down with soft light and bathes her lovely body in the waters of the Ocean, is the Moon. Selene, they say, fell in love with the very handsome Endymion, who was allowed to choose what he would, and he chose to sleep for ever, remaining deathless and ageless. However some say that he chose to be always sleepless. Endymion's beauty was comparable only to that of Adonis, Ganymedes, Hyacinthus 1, Narcissus, Hermaphroditus, Hylas and Chrysippus 2. Because Helius (Sun) and his sister Selene (Moon) influence the temperature of the air, both pestilential diseases and deaths have been imputed to them. And then they have been associated with Apollo and Artemis, because these are healers, and standing for what is sound and safe, may prevent those diseases and deaths. But he is confused who thinks that things or gods can be easily classified and understood.

PERSEPHONE AND HADES

Persephone is the goddess of spring. Hades is the God of the Underworld. According to her story, she was abducted, raped and taken to the underworld by Hades. When her mother, Demeter, found out what had happened to Persephone, she convinced Zeus to force Hades to release her. Before Persephone could leave, Hades made her eat a pomegranate, which meant that she would have to return to the underworld for one-third of the year. According to the legend, the time Persephone spends in the underworld is the time in which there is winter on the earth. Because Persephone made it out of the underworld, she can be called the first survivor. As survivors we can take comfort from the knowledge that although winter is hard, there is always spring around the corner.

PSYCHE WITH EROS

Psyche was the daughter of an unknown king. Her beauty was so extraordinary that men would worship her instead of courting her. Aphrodite then, out of jealousy for her beauty, sent Eros to make Psyche fall in love with some unworthy man while an oracle said that Psyche must wed a horrible monster on the top of a mountain. Psyche then, was first exposed and then carried by the wind to a castle. But Eros, instead of obeying Aphrodite, fell in love with Psyche and visited her every night, although never allowing Psyche to see him. However, following the advices dictated by jealousy that her two sisters gave her, Psyche managed to know who her lover was. Eros, then, deserted her, and when their love was discovered Psyche suffered the wrath of Aphrodite, who mistreated her in many ways. However, after several complications the lovers could reunite and Psyche was reconciled with Aphrodite and made immortal.

Home