Women of Greek Mythology

Psyche stood dripping water on the marble floor as she quickly wrapped a cloth around her.  A bath had never felt so refreshing in her entire life.

“Gods and Goddesses! I demand that Psyche be taken back to the Underworld,” Aphrodite cried. “She is an imposter!”

“She’s choking!” Eros cried, as he watched Aphrodite and Psyche standing suspended in some shared vision.

Psyche’s breath caught as a scene stretched out before her. Aphrodite had touched a delicate finger to her forehead, pulling them both into a shared vision. 

Hades hated meetings.  Nothing important ever happened. They had their regular, boring gatherings to make reports and keep records. He would have preferred to skip those, and he often did, but he never missed the ones when Persephone came to join him.

Demeter had been watching the trial carefully. She’d almost gotten up and left when she’d found out the meeting was over some mortal. Eros’s wife? Even better. Leave her in the Underworld. He deserved to lose what he loved. 

“Let’s begin,” Zeus said, signaling to the rest of the gods to take their seats.  His brothers Hades and Poseidon had joined him again at the head of the room. Everyone seemed to have returned and gradually the side conversations died down.

Eros stood by anxiously watching Panacea work. Psyche’s color was back and the pained look on her face had finally relaxed. He noticed his own body relaxing as Psyche improved.

Eros's heart leapt at the sight of Psyche. She was even more beautiful as a spirit. He watched as Psyche approached her body. She hesitated, drawing back slightly into Hades.

“How can you be sure you’ll find her out here?” Hades asked. Persephone and Hades were standing on the Plains.

There was clear surprise among the gods as Hades’s voice still echoed in the chamber. Hades never -- well, almost never -- allowed morals a reunion with their bodies once their spirits had entered his realm.  Yet in this rare case, Hades had said yes.

The Council sat momentarily silent.  They looked from the beautiful and powerful Aphrodite to the corpse of Psyche lying on the couch.  It seemed that Aphrodite was right. Psyche was weak. She belonged in the Underworld with the rest of the departed mortals.

“Gods and Goddesses,” Athena began, “I have called you all here to ascertain the proper judgment of this mortal.” Athena indicated Psyche’s body lying on the couch, now in the center of the room.  Groans were heard among the gods. “Have you really assembled us here to discuss the fate of a mortal?” Apollo said, standing. “I have better things to do, Athena.”

“Immortality?” Eros said in disbelief.  Attendants had brought in a couch for Psyche. Eros, Harmonia, and Athena found a quiet corner in the council room where they could watch Psyche and plan.

“Zeus, I demand the restoration of this woman’s life,” Eros began. “She is my wife and she has been wrongfully taken from me.” Zeus looked at Psyche’s body. “But that is a mortal,” Zeus said, surprised.

Psyche was finally free.  She looked down at her body. She felt sorry for it. It had worked so hard, tried so hard to prove herself.  There was no need anymore.

“It’s been long enough, Mother,” Eros said, entering his mother’s sitting room. “Where is Psyche?”  Aphrodite shrugged. “She must need more time,” Aphrodite said casually. “Who am I to speed up the process? And anyway, she’s in Hades’s hands now. It’s his realm and there’s nothing I can do.”

Psyche let out a sigh of relief.  She had done it! She had completed the third task! Well, almost.

The doors opened into the receiving hall of the kingdom of the Underworld.  Psyche stood for a moment, unsure how to proceed. You are most welcome.  There was no one there that she could see, but she felt a rush of peace and safety.

She didn’t know how long she descended, but at last the path opened into a vast landscape.  Psyche stood, taking it all in.

Psyche stepped out of the chariot, looking at a huge crack in the ground.  This was the entrance to the Underworld??

“What can I do, Harmonia?? I can’t just leave Psyche to face the Underworld alone. Mother has no right to send her there,” Eros said.

Psyche was happy to see her little wooden chariot as the sun rose the next morning.  “You are a welcome sight,” Psyche said brightly.

“Mother!” Eros said, striding into Aphrodite’s dining hall. “You must put a stop to this.” Aphrodite briefly paused before popping a grape into her mouth. “Why?” she said between chews.

“We can’t find Psyche,” Phobos and Deimos said, coming back from a lengthy search.