Particularly in ancient Roman art, cupids may also carry or be surrounded by fruits, animals, or attributes of the Seasons or the wine-god Dionysus, symbolizing the earth's generative capacity. [20]

Howbeit, remembering … that I [Jupiter] have nourished thee with mine own proper hands, I will do and accomplish all thy desire.Is it the gods who put passion in men's mind, Euryalus, or does each person's fierce desire (cupido) become his own God? [68] To command human beings to multiply and populate the world is by no means enough. There needs to be a god who impregnates people with the irresistible urge to actually mate and breed. So have babies come out of the womb: thanks to the Roman love god. Has the Roman god Cupid been this popular among gods and mortals, though? The little god Cupid sending his mother Venus on a love affair with Adonis Tela Cupidinis odit: Ovid, Ars Amatoria 1.261; C.M.C. Green, "Terms of Venery: Ars Amatoria I," Transactions of the American Philological Association 126 (1996), pp. 242, 245.

The story of Cupid and Psyche appears in Greek art as early as the 4th century BC, but the most extended literary source of the tale is the Latin novel Metamorphoses, also known as The Golden Ass, by Apuleius (2nd century AD). It concerns the overcoming of obstacles to the love between Psyche ("Soul" or "Breath of Life") and Cupid, and their ultimate union in marriage. Aldo S. Bernardo, Petrarch, Laura, and the Triumphs (State University of New York, 1974), p. 102ff.; Varriano, Caravaggio, p. 123.Cupid's Brewing Co Premium Love Potions T-Shirt, Funny Cupid Premium Co T-Shirt, Cute Valentine's Day Shirt, Couple Valentines Day Shirts The ancient Roman Cupid was a god who embodied desire, but he had no temples or religious practices independent of other Roman deities such as Venus, whom he often accompanies as a side figure in cult statues. [14] A Cupid might appear among the several statuettes for private devotion in a household shrine, [54] but there is no clear distinction between figures for veneration and those displayed as art or decoration. [55] This is a distinction from his Greek equivalent, Eros, who was commonly worshipped alongside his mother Aphrodite, and was even given a sacred day upon the 4th of every month. [56] Roman temples often served a secondary purpose as art museums, and Cicero mentions a statue of "Cupid" (Eros) by Praxiteles that was consecrated at a sacrarium and received religious veneration jointly with Hercules. [57] An inscription from Cártama in Roman Spain records statues of Mars and Cupid among the public works of a wealthy female priest ( sacerdos perpetua), and another list of benefactions by a procurator of Baetica includes statues of Venus and Cupid. [58] In erotic scenes from mythology, Cupid riding the dolphin may convey how swiftly love moves, [37] or the Cupid astride a sea beast may be a reassuring presence for the wild ride of love. [38] A dolphin-riding Cupid may attend scenes depicting the wedding of Neptune and Amphitrite or the Triumph of Neptune, also known as a marine thiasos. Psyche, who had been heavy with child even as she received the harsh, almost impossible punishments of Venus, bore the Roman god Cupid a fine goddess. Her name is Voluptas, Hedone in Greek, meaning “Pleasure.” In one account, Cupid had a girlfriend named Psyche who led a very lonely life because none of her female friends liked her and none of the male gods paid any attention to her until she met Eros. Despite the fact that they were both very lonely, according to the story they lived happily ever after together. Some Facts About Cupid