Greek Mythology · deity

Eros

Ἔρως
also: Cupid (Roman)
deitylovedesire (primordial)

God of love and desire; in the Theogony a primordial force, in later myth the son of Aphrodite.

Eros (Farnese dolphin group) — Eros (Farnese dolphin group)
Eros (Farnese dolphin group) · Miguel Hermoso Cuesta · undated · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 4.0
The account

Who they are

Eros (Cupid) is the god of love and desire. In Hesiod's Theogony he is a primordial being, born directly from Chaos — an impersonal force of attraction [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗; in later myth he is the son of Aphrodite (and in some accounts of Ares), the winged child who drives gods and mortals to love [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text. The two conceptions coexist: the cosmic force and the charming child-god.
Worth knowing
  • Primordial in the Theogony (born of Chaos); son of Aphrodite in later myth [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Two conceptions (primordial force vs. Aphrodite's son) coexist across sources [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Relationships (2)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFAphrodite — Aphrodite is the mother of Eros (Love).[S4] [S5]
PARENT_OFAphrodite — In later myth, Aphrodite is the mother of Eros.[S4] [S5]
Local graph

Their corner of the divine world

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hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
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GREEK · 41variantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥AegisHelmet of HadesCaduceus of Her…Trident of Pose…Thunderbolt of …Alcmenamortalthe mortal mother of Heracles1 relationsAndromedamortalthe rescued princess2 relationsAphroditedeitylove7 relationsAtlasdeitythe sky (bore)1 relationsChaosprimordialorigin2 relationsDanaemortalthe mortal mother of Perseus1 relationsDemeterdeityharvest6 relationsEchidnamonsterthe monster-mother2 relationsGaiadeityearth6 relationsHadesdeitythe dead7 relationsHeradeitymarriage8 relationsHestiadeityhearth1 relationsLetodeitymotherhood (as mother of Apollo/Artemis)2 relationsMedusamonsterthe Gorgon3 relationsMetisdeitycounsel2 relationsOceanusdeitythe great world-river1 relationsOdysseusherocunning2 relationsPenelopemortalthe faithful wife of Odysseus2 relationsPoseidondeitythe sea6 relationsRheadeitymotherhood2 relationsSemelemortalthe mortal mother of Dionysus1 relationsTethysdeitythe primordial sea1 relationsTyphonmonsterthe great monster7 relationsCerberusmonsterthe guardian of the underworld3 relationsErosdeitylove2 relationsHebedeityyouth2 relationsHephaestusdeityfire6 relationsMaiadeitythe nymph2 relationsUranusprimordialsky6 relationsPersephonedeitythe underworld2 relationsTelemachusmortalthe son of Odysseus2 relationsCronusdeitytime (later association)9 relationsZeusdeitysky29 relationsApollodeitysun (later)4 relationsAresdeitywar (violence, bloodshed)3 relationsArtemisdeitythe hunt3 relationsAthenadeitywisdom4 relationsDionysusdeitywine3 relationsHeraclesherostrength7 relationsHermesdeitymessengers5 relationsPerseusheroheroism8 relations
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Artworks

Depictions

Eros (Farnese dolphin group) — Eros (Farnese dolphin group)
Eros (Farnese dolphin group) · Miguel Hermoso Cuesta · undated · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Eros (Farnese dolphin group) · undated
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