Reading Notes: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche, Part B Tartarus

Cupid and Psyche

Image from Ancient Origins

Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013)

• Cupid hides out at Venus's
• Venus wants to know who he's in love with and a talkative bird tells her he doesn't know anything besides her name is Psyche
• Venus is furious and screams at Cupid taking away all of his powers and fortune
• Venus run into Juno and Ceres and tell them to go find Psyche 
• They tell her he's just a kid that is blinded by her beauty so she ignores them and moves on
• Psyche still is looking for Cupid and comes across the Goddess and prays Juno pops up and says that they'd like to answer her prayers but they like Venus more
• Venus get Mercery on her side to find Psyche (similar to a bounty hunter)
• Venus tortures Psyche and threatens her child saying it will be illegitimate if she allows it to be born and give psyche a task
• Venus comes back and the task is done perfectly 
• Venus is upset and throws her in a cage
• Venus give her another task but instead of doing it she plans on jumping off a cliff
• Instead of committing suicide she stays strong and completes the second task
• Venus give her another one which seems impossible to do
• Psyche goes to get the drops of the precious water and a bird comes that is a servant to Cupid and helps her retrieve some water.
• Venus gives her another impossible task and just as Psyche is about to jump off a cliff...again she meets Tartarus and he tells her everything she needs to know about Venus's traps.
• He tells her NOT to open the jar of water
• she completes everything and thinks that she could use just one drop of water in hopes that it will make cupid will forgive her 
• Nothing in the jar is beautiful and it makes her fall sleep
• Cupid goes looking for her and saves her
• Jupiter says that they have live happily ever after if she gives away some of her beauty
• Jupiter granted Psyche immortality by drinking his wine
• The story the old woman is telling ends
• The donkey (ass) escapes and takes the girl with him
• The woman tries to stop him and the girl thanks him and promises to take good care of him.