PSYCHE, (Lat.. from Gk. breath, life, soul, butterfly. from :prixeLe, psychcin, to breathe). As a mythological character Psyche is a creation of the later Greek speculation, and in literature is scarcely known before the story in Apuleius (q.v.). Here Psyche as the youngest and most beautiful of three daughters of a king. She aroused the jealousy of Venus, who sent Cupid to inspire her with passion for the meanest of men. The god. however, loved her, and caused her removal to a fairy palace of delight, where he visited her in darkness, strictly for bidding her to see his face. Her jealous sisters persuaded her to disobey this injunction, but when she approached the sleeping god with a lighted lamp, his unexpected beauty caused her to start, a drop of oil fell on the god. who woke, and after rebuking her curiosity dis appeared. Vainly Psyche sought him through out the earth and finally came to the palace of Venus, who treated her as a slave, and laid upon her impossible tasks, which, however, the unseen aid of her lover enabled her to accomplish. Finally even Venus's wrath was appeased, Jove gave her immortality, and she was united to Cupid. In this form a common folk-tale has been adapted to the philosophy which taught the prexistence of the soul in happiness, its hard service in the body, and final immortality in bliss. Though there is no other literary testi
mony to this myth. the works of art show that as early as the second century B.C. the love of Eros and Psyche had engaged the Greek artists. One aspect of this story is only found on works of art of the Roman Imperial period—the torture of Psyche by Eros. Sometimes we see hint hold ing the butterfly over a torch; at other times he hinds and scourges the maiden Psyche, or with a torch singes the butterfly's wings which spring from her shoulders; again, Psyche lies prostrate before hint in entreaty. The earlier groups show the lovers embracing. In the Pompeian wall paintings or on gems we also find Psyche or Psyches with Erotes engaged in various human occupations or amusements. On the Roman sar cophagi of the second and third centuries of our era, the myth of Psyche is used with obvious reference to the life of the soul. and naturally the representations pass over into the early Christian symbolism. Consult: John's edition of (Leipzig. 18561: an English version in Walter Pater's :Varies thr Epicurean: Conze, De Psyches Imaginibus Qxibcrselanc (Berlin, IS55); Collignon. Essai sur les monuments re fa/ifs au mythes de Psychr (Paris, 1S' 1.