(), that is, "breath" or "the soul," occurs in the
later times of antiquity, as a personification of the human soul, and Apuleius (Met. 4.28, &c.) relates about her the following beautiful allegoric
story. Psyche was the youngest of the three daughters of some king, and excited by her beauty
the jealousy and envy of Venus. In order to avenge herself, the goddess ordered Amor to
inspire Psyche with a love for the most contemptible of all men : but Amor was so stricken
with her beauty that he himself fell in love with her. He accordingly conveyed her to some
charming place, where he, unseen and unknown, visited her every night, and left her as soon as
the day began to dawn. Psyche might have continued to have enjoyed without interruption this
state of happiness, if she had attended to the advice of her beloved, never to give way to her
curiosity, or to inquire who he was. But her jealous sisters made her believe that in the
darkness of night she was embracing some hideous monster, and accordingly once, while Amor was
asleep, she approached him with a lamp, and, to her amazement, she beheld the most handsome
and lovely of the gods. In her excitement of joy and fear, a drop of hot oil fell from her
lamp upon his shoulder. This awoke Amor, who censured her for her mistrust, and escaped.
Psyche's peace was now gone all at once, and after having attempted in vain to throw herself
into a river, she wandered about from temple to temple, inquiring after her beloved, and at
length came to the palace of Venus. There her real sufferings began, for Venus retained her,
treated her as a slave, and inmposed upon her the hardest and most humiliating labours. Psyche
would have perished under the weight of her sufferings, had not Amor, who still loved her in
secret, invisibly comforted and assisted her in her labours. With his aid she at last
succeeded in overcoming the jealousy and hatred of Venus; she became immortal, and was united
with him for ever. It is not difficult to recognise in this lovely story the idea of which it
is merely the mythical embodiment, for Psyche is evidently the human soul, which is purified
by passions and misfortunes, and is thus prepared for the enjoyment of true and pure
happiness. (Comp. Manso, Versuche, p. 346, &c.) In works of art
Psyche is represented as a maiden with the wings of a butterfly, along with Amor in the
different situations described in the allegoric story. (Hirt, Mythol.
Bilderb. p. 222, Tafel. 32.)