Cupids

Abstract ‘CUPID’ sarcophagi seem overwhelming in their sheer variety and number. AsASR V. ii.(Erotensarkophage) is yet to appear the major studies remain those of Stuveras (1969) who looks at cupids in all branches of art, and Matz (1958a) and Turcan 1966a, whose interests begin with cupids which appear on Dionysiac sarcophagi. In addition, there are surveys of the material in KS 206 ff. and inLIMC III. i. 952 ff. It is clear from these that children’s sarcophagi show most of the usual cupid scenes, as well as others which arc apparently exclusive to them. But it is important to start by clarifying what is meant here by ‘cupid sarcophagi’, since cupids involve several problems of identity. In the first place there are distinctions to be made between single and multiple figures, and between mythological and generic. The single figure may represent the god Cupid, although it is hard to tell this out of a mythological context (as on 1.46 or 6.18). Examples where he appears with Psyche on children’s sarcophagi are discussed separately in Section 7. Multiple cupids appear in mythological scenes, usually to facilitate some romantic encounter (as with Endymion on 2.6;LIMC III. i. ro42 f.), but are more frequently shown in generic activities.