Page:Greek and Roman Mythology.djvu/96

 82 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY symbols of fruitfulness the dove, ram, or he-goat are her special attributes. 110. Eros, on the other hand, was the masculine repre- sentative of love. He was worshiped as a real god from ancient times, probably even by the prehellenic popula- tion of Thespiae in Boeotia, Parion on the Hellespont, and Leuctra in Laconia. At Thespiae he was worshiped under the very ancient symbol of a rough stone ; but he was there considered the son of Hermes, the dispenser of fruitfulness, and of the Artemis of the lower world (a goddess of earth's fruitfulness, much like Derneter and Persephone). In the Homeric poems, however, he does not yet 'appear as a divinity ; and Hesiod, though cer- tainly acquainted with his actual worship, regards him only as a world-engendering primitive force. 111. Himeros (Lat. Cupido), the longing of impetuous love, and Pothos, love's ardent desire, were after a while distinguished from Eros ; but they were not recognized as actual divinities. Thus there was gradually developed a plurality of Erotes not easily distinguished from each other. After the beginning of the fifth century B.C. Eros was represented in art as a winged boy or a youth of ten- der years, with a flower and a lyre, a fillet (taenid) and a garland in his hands, often in company with Aphrodite, who now was regarded as his mother. After the fourth century B.C. he received as attributes a bow and arrow, and also a torch ; for love's smart which he inflicted was regarded as a wound. Still later, through a misunder- standing, the torch was supposed to symbolize the light of life, and Eros, like Aphrodite, was associated also with death and the lower world. The torch in his hand was re- versed or extinguished, and sometimes he was represented