Psyche, the daughter of a king, inspired the wrath of Venus who eyed her as a rival. She instructed cupid, her son, to infect Psyche's heart with love for an outcast, but instead it is he who falls in love with her. He takes her to live in a palace surrounded by riches, where she lives a life of content with all she desires, save one thing - she is not allowed to see Cupid's face. He comes to her every night and leaves before dawn, but the condition of continuing the relationship is that she must never chance to look upon his face. Although Psyche is in love with Cupid, she begins to crave other companionship, so she requests that her two sisters be allowed to visit. Her sisters were so taken aback by her beautiful surroundings and opulent lifestyle that the began to enquire of her lover.

"Psyche entering Cupid's Garden" John William Waterhouse

"Psyche Opening the Golden Box" John William Waterhouse

Legend says that her sisters became so jealous of her good fortune that they plotted to destroy her relationship with Cupid. Feigning concern for her welfare they instill lies into her, saying that cupid is actually a fearsome monster who wishes to only do her harm and that is why she is not allowed to look upon his face. Later that night, out of fear and curiousity, Psyche lights a lantern and holds it over her sleeping lover so that she may see his face. Startled at his beauty, she tips the lantern accidentally and drops some hot oil onto Cupid. Awakening, he realizes what she has done and quickly flies away, leaving her. Struck with loss and sadness, Psyche attempts to drown herself in a river. Pan discovers her and saves her, asking her not to repeat her attempts to harm herself.

Psyche begins her quest to find her lost love. Along the way she meets Venus, Goddess of Love and mother of Cupid, who assigns her four ardous tasks that she must complete before she can be reuinited with her love. The first task was to sort a piles of countless seeds. In her despondency she is aided in this seemingly impossible task by ants. The second is to acquire the golden wool of the dangerous rams of the Sun. Once again daunted by the seemingly impossibility of this task, she prepares to throw herself in the river. There the reeds whisper to her - wait until the day is done. After the rams have rubbed against the branches of the bushes, there will be fleece left behind.

"Pan and Psyche" Edward Burne-Jones

Having completed her second task Psyche takes the golden fleece to Venus, who assigns her the third task, to fill a vessel with water from the raging River Styx. As Psyche approaches the river, she sees that it is protected all round by serpents and dragons. She once again falls into despair, feeling she cannot accomplish this task. An Eagle takes pity on her, takes the vessel and flies to the stream, filling it with the mysterious water. Venus now sends Psyche to the underworld to acquire the secrets of Persephone's beauty. She is to travel to the underworld alone, where she knows she will face still more challenges, and once again in the pits of despair decides to throw herself off a tower instead of tackling this insurmountable task.

There at the tower she hears a voice that tells her if she plunges to her death she will enter the underworld anyway, and that if she goes in of her own free will at least she has a chance of returning. So she enters the underworld and after many arduous trials faces Persephone, who gives her a golden box filled with the secrets of her beauty. Once above ground she is so overwhelmed with curiosity as to the contents of the box that she opens it, is overwhelmed by its contents and falls into a death like slumber. She is found by Cupid, who awakes her with his passion, and from their love is born a daughter whose name is Bliss. Jupiter, learning of Psyche's ordeal and what she has suffered through for love, makes Psyche immortal so that she might remain with Cupid forever.

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