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The most common belief is that Eros was the youngest son of the gods Aphrodite by Ares, Hermes or Zeus. In his earliest form Eros was known as Phanes, Ericepaius and Protegenus Phaethon. It is said that as Phanes he created the earth, sky, sun, and moon.

Eros is the personification of devoted friendship and love, yet is known as a wild and youthful god who showed little respect to age or station. From Zeus he received his golden wings and unerring bow and burning torches. Thus armed he flew about, randomly shooting arrows to make his targets fall in love or setting their hearts on fire with his torches.

The story of Eros and Psyche is a most famous tale of jealousy, love and trust. It begins when Aphrodite learns of the remarkable beauty of the mortal princess Psyche and sees her as her rival. She is so jealous that she instructs Eros to punish Psyche by, "Inflaming her heart with love, but with hottest love for the meanest wretch alive, so that together they may come to poverty and sorrow!" Instead, Eros is so awed by her beauty that he drops one of his arrows on his own foot and falls hopelessly in love with her.

Soon after Psyche’s parents receive an oracle from Apollo telling them they must take Psyche to a high mountain top, in her bridal array, and there she will meet the husband who is her destiny. That night Psyche is left alone, tearful and afraid, on a rocky cliff. Suddenly a gentle Zephyr descends on Psyche and carries her away to a bed of scented flowers. When daylight comes Psyche finds herself, alone, in a beautiful palace where she is waited on by invisible attendants.

When night falls Psyche is suddenly aware of a shadow by her side, a voice murmurs to her, "Dear Psyche, I am the husband chosen for thee by destiny. Ask not my name, seek not to see my face; only believe in my love, and all will be well with us."

From then on Psyche spends her days alone in the castle, where all her needs are met, and Eros, under the cover of darkness visits her each evening. Soon Psyche becomes lonely and begs her husband to let her sisters come to visit. Eros warns that they will turn her against him, but allows for them to visit anyway. Psyche’s sisters, jealous of the beauty and wealth surrounding Psyche, convinces her that her husband must be an ugly monster who will come and eat her one night. That night after her husband comes to visit and falls asleep in their bed, she lights an oil lamp to see who her husband is. Instead of an ugly monster she finds, "The sweetest and loveliest of monsters, Eros himself in the bloom of youthful beauty." Leaning over Eros, to get a closer look, she spills a drop of oil on him. He immediately awakes and is angered that Psyche did not trust him. To punish her he spreads his wings and flies away. At that same moment, the palace disappears and Psyche finds herself back on top of the mountain, the palace gone as well.

When Aphrodite learns what has happened she is so angry that the god Eros, her son, dared to love a mortal that she decides to punish him and sought out Psyche for her vengeance. Bringing Psyche to her, Aphrodite orders Psyche to complete what seems like one impossible task after another. Helped along the way by an unknown entity, Psyche completes each task, which only serves to anger Aphrodite even more.

Eros, learning of his mother’s cruelty, and still loving Psyche, seeks out Zeus begging him to make Psyche, a daughter of men, a goddess. Zeus sends out Hermes to summon a meeting of the gods and asks that they not begrudge Eros but allow him to marry Psyche. All the gods agree to the union and a great wedding feast is held on Olympus. Aphrodite, seeing that the love between Eros and Psyche is strong and pure, forgives Psyche and accepts her as Eros’s wife and her daughter-in-law.