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Psyche
Cupid is a mischievous love god who is the son of Venus and the eventual husband of Psyche. His story is told by the old hag to Charite, while Lucius is also present. When the beautiful mortal Psyche is born, a jealous Venus orders Cupid to find her someone pathetic to marry. Cupid disobeys orders and marries Psyche himself, concealing his identity. But when Psyche finds out his identity, it causes problems for both of them, and Venus learns how her son disobeyed her. Ultimately, Cupid is allowed to continue living with Psyche, after she is made immortal by Jupiter. As the god of love, Cupid represents both the pleasure of love but also the unpredictability and destruction that can ensue. Despite his story’s happy ending, the story also hints at the consequences of what can happen when people are driven by love rather than logic.
Cupid Quotes in The Golden Ass
The The Golden Ass quotes below are all either spoken by Cupid or refer to Cupid. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 4
Quotes
In a certain city there lived a king and queen who had daughters three in number and illustrious in beauty. Though the two born first were quite gratifying enough to look at, praise and publicity on a mortal scale were held to be adequate for them. But the youngest girl’s gorgeousness was so extraordinary, so remarkable that the poverty of human speech prevented any proper description or even encomium.
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 5
Quotes
But the instant the lamp elucidated the secrets of the bed to which she brought it, she saw the sweetest beast, the gentlest wild thing in the world, Cupid himself, that gorgeous god, at gorgeous rest.
But from the time you were a toddler, you weren’t properly socialized.
Book 6
Quotes
Believe me, I’m moved by your tearful pleas, and I’d like to be of service, but I can’t fall out with my kinswoman.
My daughter, no more moping from you. Have no anxiety for your family tree, sky-high as it is, or for your own prestige because of this marriage with a mortal.
Get the entire The Golden Ass LitChart as a printable PDF.
Cupid Quotes in The Golden Ass
The The Golden Ass quotes below are all either spoken by Cupid or refer to Cupid. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 4
Quotes
In a certain city there lived a king and queen who had daughters three in number and illustrious in beauty. Though the two born first were quite gratifying enough to look at, praise and publicity on a mortal scale were held to be adequate for them. But the youngest girl’s gorgeousness was so extraordinary, so remarkable that the poverty of human speech prevented any proper description or even encomium.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 5
Quotes
But the instant the lamp elucidated the secrets of the bed to which she brought it, she saw the sweetest beast, the gentlest wild thing in the world, Cupid himself, that gorgeous god, at gorgeous rest.
But from the time you were a toddler, you weren’t properly socialized.
Book 6
Quotes
Believe me, I’m moved by your tearful pleas, and I’d like to be of service, but I can’t fall out with my kinswoman.
My daughter, no more moping from you. Have no anxiety for your family tree, sky-high as it is, or for your own prestige because of this marriage with a mortal.
