What is Psyche (mythology)?
[[Image:Psycheabduct.jpg|thumb|250px|''The Abduction of Psyche'' by [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]]|right]] '''Psyche''' (pronounced: SY-kee) is a former [[mortal]] woman and goddess of the soul in [[Greek mythology]]. She is the wife of [[Eros]] (Cupid) and the mother of [[Hedone]]. Today, Psyche is known from a story called ''[[The Golden Ass]]'', written by [[Lucius Apuleius]] in the [[2nd century]]. ==Mythology== === Early life === Psyche was the youngest daughter of a Greek king and queen. She had two older sisters. She was very beautiful. Many people said she was more beautiful than [[Aphrodite]]. People started worshipping Psyche instead of Aphrodite. This made the goddess angry. As a punishment, she sent her son, [[Eros]], to make Psyche fall in love with an ugly person. However, Eros fell in love with Psyche. He decided to save her from his mother's anger. Psyche's sisters were [[Jealousy|jealous]] of her beauty. They eventually married kings and left to be with their husbands. Nobody asked to marry Psyche. She was left alone. Her father decided to ask the [[Oracle of Delphi]] for help. === Marriage to Eros === [[File:Amore e Psiche, Canova.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss]]'' by [[Antonio Canova]]]] [[Apollo]], spoke to Psyche's father through the Oracle. He told her father that Psyche would marry a [[monster]] that even the gods were afraid of. Apollo said to dress Psyche in funeral clothes, take her to the tallest rock in the kingdom, and leave her there. The king sadly obeyed Apollo. Psyche waited for the monster. When it did not come, she jumped from the rock. [[Zephyrus]], the Greek lord of west wind, held her up to save her from death. He took her to [[Eros]]'s palace. When Eros returned, he talked to Psyche in the dark. He said that she must not try to see him. He said that it would ruin everything if he told her his name. The first few weeks of Psyche's life in the palace were good. But soon her sisters convinced her to see what her husband looked like. [[File:Louis Jean F