There are two
versions of Eros's character and origin, the first making him the oldest deity
as the son of Chaos. It was Eros's creative powers that made order emanate
out of Chaos, making the creation of Earth possible.
The more popular, and later, version of Eros as that of a winged baby or youth
shooting arrows into people's and god's hearts, making them fall in love.
This is the best known image of him, and it is often believed that it was
Eros that stood model for the christian cherubs.
Aphrodite was his mother and the difference between the two is traditionally
that Eros symbolized the crazed, many times blind love, and Aphrodite more
of a deep love but also sexual lust.
One of the most famous stories of Eros is the one about the young princess
Psyche, but it is a late story told by Apuleius in the second century AD,
often called the last great myth of antiquity.
The word "erotic" is derived of Eros's name, and in Roman mythology he was
called Cupid or Amor.