GEC ELEC II: GREAT

BOOKS
Vanessa S. Benet, LPT.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
by Apuleius
 Lucius Apuleius
 APULEIUS was born about AD
125 in Madaura or Madauros, a
Roman colony in North Africa.
 His father, from whom he
inherited a substantial fortune,
was one of the two chief of the
city.
 For his education Apuleius was
sent first to Carthage, the capital
of Roman North Africa, and then
to Athens
 Lucius Apuleius
 While detained by illness on his
way home at Oea in Tripoli, he
met and married the wealthy
widow Pudentilla. This was at the
instance of one of her sons, whom
he had known at Rome; but other
members of her family objected to
the marriage and prosecuted
Apuleius on various charges,
principally that of winning
Pudentilla’s affections by magic.
The Golden Ass (metamorphoses)

The plot revolves around the

protagonist's curiosity (Lucius) and
insatiable desire to see and practice
magic. While trying to perform a
spell to transform into a bird, he is
accidentally transformed into an ass.
This leads to a long journey, literal
and metaphorical, filled with inset
tales. He finally
finds salvation through the
intervention of the goddess Isis,
whose cult he joins.
 The Golden Ass (metamorphoses)

The Only Ancient Latin Novel that

survives.

Consists of Eleven Books/Chapters

Translatd by: Emiritus Kennedy

CHARACTERS

PSYCHE EROS/CUPID
CHARACTERS

KING AND QUEEN/ SISTERS OF

MOTHER AND PSYCHE
FATHR OF PSYCHE

APHRODITE/VE
NUS
CHARACTERS

HERA/JUNO ZUS/JUPITER ATHENA/MINER

VA
CHARACTERS

DEMETER/CE
RES

PHERSEPHONE/PROSERP
HINE

ZPHYR/WESTWI
ND
CHARACTERS

THANATOS/CHARO
CEBURUS
N

HADES/PLUT
O HERMES/MERCU
RY
CUPID AND PSYCHE
A certain king and queen had three daughters. The
charms of the two elder were more than common, but
the beauty of the youngest was so wonderful. The
fame of her beauty was so great that strangers from
neighboring countries came in crowds to enjoy the
sight, and looked on her with amazement, paying her
that homage which is due only to Venus herself. In fact
Venus found her altars deserted, while men turned
their devotion to this young virgin. As she passed
along, the people sang her praises, and strewed her
way with flowers.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
This homage to the exaltation of a mortal gave
great offense to the real Venus. Shaking her
ambrosial locks with indignation, she exclaimed,
"Am I then to be eclipsed in my honors by a mortal
girl? In vain then did that royal shepherd, whose
judgment was approved by Jove himself, give me the
palm of beauty over my illustrious rivals, Pallas and
Juno. But she shall not so quietly usurp my honors. I
will give her cause to repent of so unlawful a beauty."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Thereupon she calls her winged son Cupid,
mischievous enough in his own nature, and rouses
and provokes him yet more by her complaints. She
points out Psyche to him and says, "My dear son,
punish that contumacious beauty; give your mother a
revenge as sweet as her injuries are great; infuse into
the bosom of that haughty girl a passion for some
low, mean, unworthy being, so that she may reap a
mortification as great as her present exultation and
triumph."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Cupid prepared to obey the commands of his mother. There are
two fountains in Venus's garden, one of sweet waters, the other
of bitter. Cupid filled two amber vases, one from each fountain,
and suspending them from the top of his quiver, hastened to the
chamber of Psyche, whom he found asleep. He shed a few drops
from the bitter fountain over her lips, though the sight of her
almost moved him to pity; then touched her side with the point
of his arrow. At the touch she awoke, and opened eyes upon
Cupid, which so startled him that in his confusion he wounded
himself with his own arrow. Heedless of his wound, his whole
thought now was to repair the mischief he had done, and he
poured the balmy drops of joy over all her silken ringlets.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche, henceforth frowned upon by Venus,
derived no benefit from all her charms. True, all eyes
were cast eagerly upon her, and every mouth spoke
her praises; but neither king, royal youth, nor
plebeian presented himself to demand her in
marriage. Her two elder sisters of moderate charms
had now long been married to two royal princes; but
Psyche, in her lonely apartment, deplored her
solitude, sick of that beauty which, while it procured
abundance of flattery, had failed to awaken love.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Her parents, afraid that they had unwittingly
incurred the anger of the gods, consulted the oracle of
Apollo, and received this answer, "The virgin is
destined for the bride of no mortal lover. Her future
husband awaits her on the top of the mountain. He is
a monster whom neither gods nor men can resist."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
This dreadful decree of the oracle filled all the
people with dismay, and her parents abandoned
themselves to grief. But Psyche said, "Why, my dear
parents, do you now lament me? You should rather
have grieved when the people showered upon me
undeserved honors, and with one voice called me a
Venus. I now perceive that I am a victim to that
name. I submit. Lead me to that rock to which my
unhappy fate has destined me."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Accordingly, all things being prepared, the royal
maid took her place in the procession, which more
resembled a funeral than a nuptial pomp, and with
her parents, amid the lamentations of the people,
ascended the mountain, on the summit of which they
left her alone, and with sorrowful hearts returned
home.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
While Psyche stood on the ridge of the mountain,
panting with fear and with eyes full of tears, the
gentle Zephyr raised her from the earth and bore her
with an easy motion into a flowery dale. By degrees
her mind became composed, and she laid herself
down on the grassy bank to sleep.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
When she awoke refreshed with sleep, she looked
round and beheld nearby a pleasant grove of tall and
stately trees. She entered it, and in the midst
discovered a fountain, sending forth clear and crystal
waters, and fast by, a magnificent palace whose
august front impressed the spectator that it was not
the work of mortal hands, but the happy retreat of
some god. Drawn by admiration and wonder, she
approached the building and ventured to enter.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Every object she met filled her with pleasure and
amazement. Golden pillars supported the vaulted
roof, and the walls were enriched with carvings and
paintings representing beasts of the chase and rural
scenes, adapted to delight the eye of the beholder.
Proceeding onward, she perceived that besides the
apartments of state there were others filled with all
manner of treasures, and beautiful and precious
productions of nature and art.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
While her eyes were thus occupied, a voice
addressed her, though she saw no one, uttering these
words, "Sovereign lady, all that you see is yours. We
whose voices you hear are your servants and shall
obey all your commands with our utmost care and
diligence. Retire, therefore, to your chamber and
repose on your bed of down, and when you see fit,
repair to the bath. Supper awaits you in the adjoining
alcove when it pleases you to take your seat there."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche gave ear to the admonitions of her vocal
attendants, and after repose and the refreshment of
the bath, seated herself in the alcove, where a table
immediately presented itself, without any visible aid
from waiters or servants, and covered with the
greatest delicacies of food and the most nectareous
wines. Her ears too were feasted with music from
invisible performers; of whom one sang, another
played on the lute, and all closed in the wonderful
harmony of a full chorus.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
She had not yet seen her destined husband. He
came only in the hours of darkness and fled before
the dawn of morning, but his accents were full of
love, and inspired a like passion in her. She often
begged him to stay and let her behold him, but he
would not consent. On the contrary he charged her to
make no attempt to see him, for it was his pleasure,
for the best of reasons, to keep concealed.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
"Why should you wish to behold me?" he said.
"Have you any doubt of my love? Have you any wish
ungratified? If you saw me, perhaps you would fear
me, perhaps adore me, but all I ask of you is to love
me. I would rather you would love me as an equal
than adore me as a god."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
This reasoning somewhat quieted Psyche for a
time, and while the novelty lasted she felt quite
happy. But at length the thought of her parents, left in
ignorance of her fate, and of her sisters, precluded
from sharing with her the delights of her situation,
preyed on her mind and made her begin to feel her
palace as but a splendid prison. When her husband
came one night, she told him her distress, and at last
drew from him an unwilling consent that her sisters
should be brought to see her.
 CUPID AND PSYCHE
So, calling Zephyr, she acquainted him with her husband's commands,
and he, promptly obedient, soon brought them across the mountain
down to their sister's valley. They embraced her and she returned their
caresses.
"Come," said Psyche, "enter with me my house and refresh yourselves
with whatever your sister has to offer."
Then taking their hands she led them into her golden palace, and
committed them to the care of her numerous train of attendant voices,
to refresh them in her baths and at her table, and to show them all her
treasures. The view of these celestial delights caused envy to enter
their bosoms, at seeing their young sister possessed of such state and
splendor, so much exceeding their own.
They asked her numberless questions, among others what sort of a person
her husband was. Psyche replied that he was a beautiful youth, who
CUPID AND PSYCHE
The sisters, not satisfied with this reply, soon made her
confess that she had never seen him. Then they proceeded to fill
her bosom with dark suspicions. "Call to mind," they said, "the
Pythian oracle that declared you destined to marry a direful and
tremendous monster. The inhabitants of this valley say that your
husband is a terrible and monstrous serpent, who nourishes you
for a while with dainties that he may by and by devour you. Take
our advice. Provide yourself with a lamp and a sharp knife; put
them in concealment that your husband may not discover them,
and when he is sound asleep, slip out of bed, bring forth your
lamp, and see for yourself whether what they say is true or not.
If it is, hesitate not to cut off the monster's head, and thereby
recover your liberty."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche resisted these persuasions as well as she could, but
they did not fail to have their effect on her mind, and when her
sisters were gone, their words and her own curiosity were too
strong for her to resist. So she prepared her lamp and a sharp
knife, and hid them out of sight of her husband. When he had
fallen into his first sleep, she silently rose and uncovering her
lamp beheld not a hideous monster, but the most beautiful and
charming of the gods, with his golden ringlets wandering over
his snowy neck and crimson cheek, with two dewy wings on his
shoulders, whiter than snow, and with shining feathers like the
tender blossoms of spring.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
As she leaned the lamp over to have a better view of his face,
a drop of burning oil fell on the shoulder of the god. Startled, he
opened his eyes and fixed them upon her. Then, without saying a
word, he spread his white wings and flew out of the window.
Psyche, in vain endeavoring to follow him, fell from the window
to the ground.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Cupid, beholding her as she lay in the dust, stopped his flight
for an instant and said, "Oh foolish Psyche, is it thus you repay
my love? After I disobeyed my mother's commands and made
you my wife, will you think me a monster and cut off my head?
But go; return to your sisters, whose advice you seem to think
preferable to mine. I inflict no other punishment on you than to
leave you for ever. Love cannot dwell with suspicion." So
saying, he fled away, leaving poor Psyche prostrate on the
ground, filling the place with mournful lamentations.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
When she had recovered some degree of composure she
looked around her, but the palace and gardens had vanished, and
she found herself in the open field not far from the city where
her sisters dwelt. She repaired thither and told them the whole
story of her misfortunes, at which, pretending to grieve, those
spiteful creatures inwardly rejoiced.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
"For now," said they, "he will perhaps choose one of us."
With this idea, without saying a word of her intentions, each of
them rose early the next morning and ascended the mountain,
and having reached the top, called upon Zephyr to receive her
and bear her to his lord; then leaping up, and not being sustained
by Zephyr, fell down the precipice and was dashed to pieces.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche meanwhile wandered day and night, without food or
repose, in search of her husband. Casting her eyes on a lofty
mountain having on its brow a magnificent temple, she sighed
and said to herself, "Perhaps my love, my lord, inhabits there,"
and directed her steps thither.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
She had no sooner entered than she saw heaps of corn, some
in loose ears and some in sheaves, with mingled ears of barley.
Scattered about, lay sickles and rakes, and all the instruments of
harvest, without order, as if thrown carelessly out of the weary
reapers' hands in the sultry hours of the day.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
This unseemly confusion the pious Psyche put an end to, by
separating and sorting everything to its proper place and kind,
believing that she ought to neglect none of the gods, but
endeavor by her piety to engage them all in her behalf. The holy
Ceres, whose temple it was, finding her so religiously employed,
thus spoke to her, "Oh Psyche, truly worthy of our pity, though I
cannot shield you from the frowns of Venus, yet I can teach you
how best to allay her displeasure. Go, then, and voluntarily
surrender yourself to your lady and sovereign, and try by
modesty and submission to win her forgiveness, and perhaps her
favor will restore you the husband you have lost."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche obeyed the commands of Ceres and took her way to
the temple of Venus, endeavoring to fortify her mind and
ruminating on what she should say and how best propitiate the
angry goddess, feeling that the issue was doubtful and perhaps
fatal.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Venus received her with angry countenance. "Most undutiful
and faithless of servants," said she, "do you at last remember
that you really have a mistress? Or have you rather come to see
your sick husband, yet laid up of the wound given him by his
loving wife? You are so ill favored and disagreeable that the only
way you can merit your lover must be by dint of industry and
diligence. I will make trial of your housewifery." Then she
ordered Psyche to be led to the storehouse of her temple, where
was laid up a great quantity of wheat, barley, millet, vetches,
beans, and lentils prepared for food for her pigeons, and said,
"Take and separate all these grains, putting all of the same kind
in a parcel by themselves, and see that you get it done before
evening." Then Venus departed and left her to her task.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
But Psyche, in a perfect consternation at the enormous work,
sat stupid and silent, without moving a finger to the inextricable
heap.

While she sat despairing, Cupid stirred up the little ant, a

native of the fields, to take compassion on her. The leader of the
anthill, followed by whole hosts of his six-legged subjects,
approached the heap, and with the utmost diligence taking grain
by grain, they separated the pile, sorting each kind to its parcel;
and when it was all done, they vanished out of sight in a moment
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Venus at the approach of twilight returned from the banquet
of the gods, breathing odors and crowned with roses. Seeing the
task done, she exclaimed, "This is no work of yours, wicked one,
but his, whom to your own and his misfortune you have
enticed." So saying, she threw her a piece of black bread for her
supper and went away.
Next morning Venus ordered Psyche to be called and said to
her, "Behold yonder grove which stretches along the margin of
the water. There you will find sheep feeding without a shepherd,
with golden-shining fleeces on their backs. Go, fetch me a
sample of that precious wool gathered from every one of their
fleeces."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche obediently went to the riverside, prepared to do her
best to execute the command. But the river god inspired the
reeds with harmonious murmurs, which seemed to say, "Oh
maiden, severely tried, tempt not the dangerous flood, nor
venture among the formidable rams on the other side, for as long
as they are under the influence of the rising sun, they burn with a
cruel rage to destroy mortals with their sharp horns or rude teeth.
But when the noontide sun has driven the cattle to the shade, and
the serene spirit of the flood has lulled them to rest, you may
then cross in safety, and you will find the woolly gold sticking to
the bushes and the trunks of the trees."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Thus the compassionate river god gave Psyche instructions
how to accomplish her task, and by observing his directions she
soon returned to Venus with her arms full of the golden fleece;
but she received not the approbation of her implacable mistress,
who said, "I know very well it is by none of your own doings
that you have succeeded in this task, and I am not satisfied yet
that you have any capacity to make yourself useful. But I have
another task for you. Here, take this box and go your way to the
infernal shades, and give this box to Proserpine and say, 'My
mistress Venus desires you to send her a little of your beauty, for
in tending her sick son she has lost some of her own.' Be not too
long on your errand, for I must paint myself with it to appear at
the circle of the gods and goddesses this evening."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche was now satisfied that her destruction was at hand, being obliged
to go with her own feet directly down to Erebus. Wherefore, to make no
delay of what was not to be avoided, she goes to the top of a high tower to
precipitate herself headlong, thus to descend the shortest way to the shades
below. But a voice from the tower said to her, "Why, poor unlucky girl, do
you design to put an end to your days in so dreadful a manner? And what
cowardice makes you sink under this last danger who have been so
miraculously supported in all your former?" Then the voice told her how by a
certain cave she might reach the realms of Pluto, and how to avoid all the
dangers of the road, to pass by Cerberus, the three-headed dog, and prevail on
Charon, the ferryman, to take her across the black river and bring her back
again. But the voice added, "When Proserpine has given you the box filled
with her beauty, of all things this is chiefly to be observed by you, that you
never once open or look into the box nor allow your curiosity to pry into the
treasure of the beauty of the goddesses."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Psyche, encouraged by this advice, obeyed it in all
things, and taking heed to her ways traveled safely to
the kingdom of Pluto. She was admitted to the palace
of Proserpine, and without accepting the delicate seat
or delicious banquet that was offered her, but contented
with coarse bread for her food, she delivered her
message from Venus. Presently the box was returned to
her, shut and filled with the precious commodity. Then
she returned the way she came, and glad was she to
come out once more into the light of day.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
But having got so far successfully through her
dangerous task a longing desire seized her to examine
the contents of the box. "What," said she, "shall I, the
carrier of this divine beauty, not take the least bit to put
on my cheeks to appear to more advantage in the eyes
of my beloved husband!" So she carefully opened the
box, but found nothing there of any beauty at all, but an
infernal and truly Stygian sleep, which being thus set
free from its prison, took possession of her, and she fell
down in the midst of the road, a sleepy corpse without
sense or motion.
CUPID AND PSYCHE
But Cupid, being now recovered from his wound,
and not able longer to bear the absence of his beloved
Psyche, slipping through the smallest crack of the
window of his chamber which happened to be left
open, flew to the spot where Psyche lay, and gathering
up the sleep from her body closed it again in the box,
and waked Psyche with a light touch of one of his
arrows. "Again," said he, "have you almost perished by
the same curiosity. But now perform exactly the task
imposed on you by my mother, and I will take care of
the rest."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Then Cupid, as swift as lightning penetrating the
heights of heaven, presented himself before Jupiter
with his supplication. Jupiter lent a favoring ear, and
pleaded the cause of the lovers so earnestly with Venus
that he won her consent. On this he sent Mercury to
bring Psyche up to the heavenly assembly, and when
she arrived, handing her a cup of ambrosia, he said,
"Drink this, Psyche, and be immortal; nor shall Cupid
ever break away from the knot in which he is tied, but
these nuptials shall be perpetual."
CUPID AND PSYCHE
Thus Psyche became at last united to Cupid, and in
due time they had a daughter born to them whose name
was Pleasure.
•Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss
•1787-1793
•LOURVE Museum
•Paris, France
•Commissioned by Colonel John Campbell

•Antonio Canova
•Born in Venice
•1756/1822
•Famous Sculpture
 PERFORMANCE TASK
Directions: Read the literary text “Cupid and Psyche”
and make a story review. Do this in paragraph form
following the format below. Strictly one (1) paragraph
with five (5) sentences only per part, it will be four (4)
paragraphs for the whole activity. Upload your output
on the designated folder/classwork in the Google
Classroom you are enrolled. If handwritten, take a
photo of your output and upload it on the designated
folder/classwork in the Google Classroom you are
enrolled.
 
PERFORMANCE TASK
Story Review Parts:
Introduction (include some basic facts about the story,
including the title, the author and the story genre.)
Summary (Brief summary of the literary text)
Personal Reflection (Discuss what you like or dislike about
the story. Give reasons to support your opinion. You may
want to compare and contrast the story with other stories
you have read by the same author or in the same genre.)
Conclusion (evaluate the story and either recommend it or not
recommend it to others)
Criteria for Story Review (PT3)
 
Content 10 points
Development 5 points
Organization of Ideas 5 points
Style 5 points
Grammar and Mechanics 5 points
Total 30 points