The Fall of Troy

A detailed Summary of The Fall of Troy


Edith Hamilton takes the love story of Cupid and Psyche, Love and Soul, from a Latin writer of the second century A.D., Apuleius, who, similar to Ovid, creates beautiful, entertaining tales. Consequently, the author uses the Latin names of the gods. The story of Cupid and Psyche represents the determined love between mortal and immortal.

Psyche, the daughter of a king, held a beauty which excelled her sisters' and every other maiden's on the earth. Her shining beauty made her seem a "very goddess consorting with mere mortals" (92). Her surpassing beauty, known all over the earth, caused men from across the world to journey to "gaze upon her with wonder and adoration" as if she beheld immortality. Venus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, could not even measure up to the loveliness of this mortal. Her temples neglected, Venus becomes enraged; all the praises once hers "were now given to a mere girl destined some day to die" (92).

The jealous goddess immediately turns to her son Cupid, "against whose arrows there is no defense" (92). She commands the God of Love to make Psyche fall in love with the most appalling, unpleasant creature in the world. Cupid, however, falls in love with her and feels as if


Psyche happily awaits their arrival, and as they enter the palace, "bitter envy took possession of them" (94). Jealousy overpowers them and the two envious sisters conspire to ruin Psyche's happiness. Upon their second arrival they tell Psyche that "her husband was not a man, but the fearful serpent," and he would "turn upon her some night and devour her" (95). Plagued by doubt, Psyche knows she must see her husband and, with the advice of her sisters, hide a sharp knife near her bed to protect herself. That night, she sees that the beautiful Cupid lies next to her. With trembling hads, she spills hot oil from the lamp upon the god, revealing her deception. Her faithlessness exposed, Cupid flees the house and runs to Venus. As she rushes after him, he speaks to her, "Love cannot live where there is no trust," and bids her farewell (96).

As Psyche weeps on the high hilltop Zephyr, the West Wind, carries her to a majestic palace where she bathes and feasts royally, with the companionship of strange, mysterious voices and noises. That night, Psyche feels Cupid beside her and determines that she has found the lover she has longed and waited for. For a time, Psyche remains alone during the day and then at night sleeps with a husband she never sees. Her unseen husband then warns her that her sisters may come to the h

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Approximate Word count = 899
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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