GRECIAN MYTHOLOGY. 117 
Eros visited her only in the dark hours of night, and admonished her against 
any inquisitive attempts to know more of him, assuring her that such know- 
ledge would change her happiness to the deepest misery. For a while her 
bliss in her new abode was complete, but she soon felt the need of society, 
and obtained from Eros permission for her sisters to visit her. Sosoon as they 
beheld the magnificence and splendor of the palace, they began to envy 
their happy and fortunate sister, and at once endeavored to destroy the 
happiness which they could not enjoy. Accordingly they persuaded Psyche 
to gratify her curiosity in regard to the nature and character of her lover, 
by providing a concealed lamp, and inspecting him during his slumbers. 
The next time he came she followed their advice. His transcendent beauty. 
so agitated her, that in her excitement she let fall a drop of heated oil upon 
his shoulder. He instantly awoke, and after reproaching her severely for 
disregarding his admonition, he left her. She awaited his return long and 
in vain, and at length her distress and anxiety became so excessive that she 
east herself into ariyer near by, hoping at once to put an end both to her 
life and anguish. But the waves did not permit her to sink; they wafted 
her gently to the shore, where she was discovered by Pan, and encouraged 
to appease her departed lover by repentance and unceasing effort to 
find him. After protracted and painful wanderings she finally arrived at 
the temple of Aphrodite. The latter, still jealous of her beauty, received 
her, but imposed upen her the heaviest trials, which, had not the invisible 
Eros assisted her, she could not possibly have performed. She is repre- 
sented (pl. 29, fig 11) flying awed and terror-stricken from the persecutions 
of Aphrodite. The butterfly’s wings on her back are her attributes, since 
Psyche signifies both butterfly and soul. At length the relentless Aphro- 
dite sent her captive to the world of shades to obtain from Persephone a 
box of beauty. She procured it, and on her journey back her curiosity 
prompted her to open it, when a thick vapor issuing from it felled her to the 
ground. Eros now hastened to her relief, and touching her with an arrow 
restored her to animation. At length Aphrodite’s wrath was appeased. 
Zeus, at the solicitation of Eros, granted to Psyche the gift of immortality, 
and the union of the lovers was celebrated with becoming magnificence on 
Mount Olympos. Their marriage procession is represented in pl. 29, jig. 9: 
Hymen is leading the bridal pair to the couch which a Love is preparing, 
whilst another holds over their heads a small basket of fruit. 
2. Dionysos (Bacchus), the son of Zeus and Semele, was the god of wine, 
and in later mythology was numbered among the Olympians. Whilea child 
he discovered the art of improving the vine and expressing from the grape 
the soul-exhilarating wine. He also taught these arts to men, and strove to 
spread the culture of the vine over the habitable earth; and where the soil 
was unfavorable to its growth, he taught the art of preparing a palatable 
beverage from barley. His course through the different countries resembled 
a triumphal procession, men and women everywhere hailing him with 
shouts and acclamations. He rode upon a car drawn by panthers, tigers, 
lions, or lynxes ; sometimes he was conveyed upon centaurs, and his retinue 
was usually composed of Pans, Silenoses, Hauns, Centaurs, Cugnds, and. 
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