26. In the ancient Greek myths, Cupid was athletic – and could bring hate as well as love
The Renaissance saw the reinvention of Cupid and gave us the icon of romance we know today Back in Ancient Rome, Cupid – who was, according to the mythology, the son of Venus, goddess of love – was an athletic young man. It was only during the Renaissance that artists began depicting him as a portly cherub. What’s more, Cupid also lost his mischievous side. The Romans said that he carried two arrows with him – one to make people fall in love, the second to make them hate each other.
