PSYCHE
All would turn their heads at the passing of Psyche, such was her beauty.
Aphrodite became jealous, and sent her son -Eros- off on a task to make
Psyche fall in love with the most hideous creature he could find. Eros
(the god of love), however, on seeing Psyche was himself struck with her
prenatural beauty, and carried her off to a secluded palace where he visited
her only by night, unseen and unrecognized by her. They spent much happy time
together, but Psyche was not allowed to look upon Eros with her mortal eyes.
However being only mortal, her curiosity got the better of her, and she stole
into his bed chamber on night, holding a lamp the better to see the face
on her mysterious lover. But in alarm at her discovery, she dropped a globule
of hot oil on the god's shoulder, which caused him to awake, and, furious at her
having disobeyed him, flew off. Psyshe searched everywhere for Eros, finally
arriving at the temple of her rival, Aphrodite. The goddess charged her to descende
to the Underworld, there to fecht her a box of Persephone's beauty ointment,
which she brought back. The scent, however overpowered her and she sank dead.
But Eros, wrung with remorse, brought her back to life and obtained her for
immortality, the two being married there after.
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