Eros the mediator:Persuasion and seduction in pursuit,courting and wedding scenes

Abstract

Eros, be it the god or the personification, is included, often along with Aphrodite and her retinue, in various scenes on 5th-and 4th-century Athenian vases of actual or "mild"pursuit (courting) of a woman by a man (or even vice-versa) or of a (younger) man by another man. This paper considers mythical scenes, such as of amorous pursuit of women by gods and heroes or of Helen's introduction to Paris and their falling in love, as well as generic scenes, such as of bridal preparation or of courtship of hetairai or youths by men. It examines the degree and nature of Eros' involvement in each case and its symbolism, with a view to researching the popular notions of the time about love and seduction, principally in a heterosexual context, and detecting how these notions may have changed during the 5th and in the 4th centuries.