CUPID (Amor, *Epωs), in classical mythology, was the god, first, of the principle of love as it was seen to exist throughout nature, and, secondly, of love as a human passion. In the former and earlier phase of his character, he resembled Hermes, and like him was probably a deity of the primitive Pelasgians, since the worship of him at Parion on the Hellespont was connected with the Pelasgic religion of Samothrace, one of the deities of which is named ’A£t-¢poç. The same primitive character appears at Thespiae, where the symbol of his worship was an unhewn stone (àpyòs λι‰ς). He was the oldest of the gods, being the son of Chaos, or of night and day, or of heaven and earth, with a variety of other poetic parentages. But as god of human love he was the son and constant companion of Aphrodite (Venus); yet even in this respect his earlier character is partly visible, since she was goddess of springtime, and brought him up in the fields till spring burst from the beautiful island of Cyprus, and spread fertility over the earth. In his ethical capacity he was regarded as the most recent of the gods, and was represented as a beautiful winged youth with bow and arrows or with a torch. The fact of his having wings would preclude him from being classed with the great deities. But as messenger of Venus he would have the same right to them that Iris derived from her office as messenger of the gods. At Thespiae gymnastic and musical contests (Erotidia) were held in his honour every four years; and generally in Greece his statue was to be found beside those of Hermes and Hercules in the palaestra. The statue of Cupid by Praxiteles at Thespiae was greatly celebrated. The Spartans and Cretans sacrificed to him before battle. In later works of arts Cupid assumed ...