Eros is one of the primordial gods involved in the coming into being of the cosmos. But in later sources, Eros is represented as the son of Aphrodite, whose mischievous interventions in the affairs of gods and mortals cause bonds of love to form, often illicitly. Ultimately, in the later satirical poets, he is represented as a blindfolded child, the precursor to the chubby Renaissance Cupid, whereas in early Greek poetry and art, Eros was depicted as an adult male who embodies sexual power, and a profound artist. A cult of Eros existed in pre-classical Greece, but it was much less
Agape and Eros two ancient Greek words for love, "eros" and "agape" (unconditional love). Nygren argues that "eros" is an egocentric and acquisitive kind of love, needs-based and desire-based. When we love out of "eros" - whether we love a god or another human being -, we love out of self-interest and in order to acquire and possess the object of our love. This form of love received its classic expression in the philosophy of Plato, particularly in his dialogue The Symposium. "Agape", by contrast, is a self-giving and self-sacrificial kind of love. It is based on God's unconditional love for all creatures.