The Story of EROS 

We were dating for about a week at this point and we haven’t stopped talking about how we complete each other. We thought, perhaps soulmates. We discussed the idea of knowing each other in past lives. I described him to my friends as the “male version of me” and he suggested we get matching puzzle piece tattoos.

We were snuggled up on the couch one night, scrolling on one phone when we came across a speech given by Aristophanes in Plato’s philosophical text, “The Symposium.” According to Aristophanes’ myth, the original humans were beings with four arms, four legs, and a single head with two faces. These beings were incredibly powerful and posed a threat to the gods. Fearing their power, Zeus, the king of the gods, decided to weaken them by cutting them in half. This separation left each half with two arms, two legs, and one face. After being split, each half longed for its other half, seeking to reunite to regain its original form and wholeness. This longing for completeness, according to Aristophanes, is the origin of love and the human desire for connection and unity.

As we silently read along together, we both had an ah ha moment. We finally found the two arms, two legs, and the face that we’ve been missing for nearly thirty years. We regained our original form and the bliss of wholeness was something we’ve never experienced before. We continued reading. 

Eros, is the god of love, who plays a central role in the concept of humans seeking their other halves. Eros represents the force of love and desire that drives individuals to seek connection and unity with others. Eros embodies the powerful desire for reunion and the pursuit of one’s other half, symbolizing the human quest for love and completeness. Eros is the starting point in the journey towards the highest forms of love. Without Eros we would have no beginning, now we can embark on one of the purest journeys the universe has to offer.