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Nikki Tundel
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Photos: The evolution of Cupid

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Eros
Today we know him as Cupid. But the iconic purveyor of love actually began as the Greek god Eros. He is depicted here on a plate created around 330 B.C.
Red-Figure Plate with Eros, attributed to the Ascoli Satriano Painter

For generations, Cupid has been a symbol of Valentine's Day. But that chubby, winged toddler brandishing a bow and arrow started out as someone much different.

Gallery
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Cupid and Coca-Cola
A statue of Eros is perched above central London's Piccadilly Circus. The contemporary Cupid retained a bit of his mischievous nature, occasionally shooting arrows while blindfolded. The message: that love is blind and it's something mere humans can't control.
Lefteris Pitarakis / AP
1 of 13
Eros
Today we know him as Cupid. But the iconic purveyor of love actually began as the Greek god Eros. He is depicted here on a plate created around 330 B.C.
Red-Figure Plate with Eros, attributed to the Ascoli Satriano Painter
2 of 13
Sculpture
There are contradictory tales about the origin of Eros. In some versions, he is known as the child of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. In others, he's one of the primeval Greek gods, created asexually.
Cupid and Psyche / Antonio Canova