Although Valentine’s Day is currently celebrated with candy, cards and roses, its historical influence is rooted in Roman myths and Catholic saints.
The name of the holiday comes from St. Valentine, a third century martyr for Christianity. In addition, Cupid — who is still a popular Valentine’s Day figure — has his origins in ancient Greek and Roman mythology and literature.
Prof. of Religious Studies and Jesuit priest Gerald Fogarty, who has studied canonized Catholic saints, said the history of St. Valentine has its origins in two stories.
One story involves Emperor Claudius II, who forbade marriage in Rome due to trouble getting recruits for the Roman army, Fogarty said.
“Valentine started performing marriages in private [and] Claudius put a contract out on him,” Fogarty said. “Pagan fertility peace gives way to a legend that he starts to marry people. Then he becomes executed, and then he becomes the patron of love.”
The other story involves Valentine being imprisoned while the jailer’s daughter falls in love with him, Fogarty said.
“When he was being led off to be executed … he signed a letter to her ‘from your Valentine,’” Fogarty said.
Although some of the details are unknown, Fogarty said there is evidence of a priest named Valentine who was executed around the year 270.
Gregory Hays, associate prof. of Classics and director of the Center of Undergraduate Studies, has taught a class on Cupid and Psyche. He said their relationship has its origins in a folktale similar to "Beauty and the Beast" combined with a philosophical allegory based on Plato.
“[Apuleius's ‘Metamorphoses’] tells the story of Psyche, a beautiful princess who is required by an oracle to marry an unnamed but monstrous being,” Hays said in an email statement. “She is carried off to his palace, where he visits her only by night.”
Hays said Psyche eventually she sees her husband’s face by lamplight and discovers he's a handsome youth — Cupid.
“When she accidentally spills hot oil on him he awakens and flies away. To regain him she has to perform various labors, but the two are eventually reunited,” Hays said.
Although the tale of Cupid and Psyche was created by Apuleius, Hays said Cupid’s popularity comes from the Roman poet Ovid, who wrote many witty love poems.
“[Ovid] depicts Cupid as a merry prankster armed with bow and arrows and always on the hunt for new prey. Even the gods are powerless against his attacks,” Hays said. “Ovid was a favorite author in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and his poems influenced many European artists.”
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