1,700-year-old gold rings engrave love figures

A gold ring, featuring the elaborate carved stone agate of Cupid's love image, was found near the village of Tangley in England.

The 1700-year-old gold ring engraved the image of Cupid

According to Livescience, the ring was dating back about 1,700 years, when Britain was ruled by the Roman Empire. It is decorated by many spiral motifs and granular spheres. Researchers think its owner can be male or female.

The ring is in blue gold with nicolo stones.(Photo: Livescience).

Cupid (Greek for "Eros" ) is carved on nicolo stone face , an upper agate stone in light blue and dark blue bottom . The god is portrayed in the image of a naked young man leaning against a spiral-shaped low pillar, with his legs crossed, short wings growing from his shoulders, one hand on the pillar, and the other hand holding a torch.

Sally Worrell - Portable Antiquities Scheme project advisor, and John Pearce - Senior Archeology lecturer at King's College London, describe the ring in the article published in Britannia magazine.

This artistic portrayal is quite common in Greece and Rome . A number of other stone faces engraved in the spirit of Cupid were also known, according to researchers. Based on the special design of this ring, they thought it was made in the 4th century.

Decorative motifs on rings.(Photo: Live Science).

The ring was discovered by an amateur metal detector in December 2013 and announced for the Portable Antiquities Scheme project. This project was implemented in 1997 to encourage people to voluntarily inform when discovering antiques.

In England and Wales, people are allowed to use metal detectors to search for artifacts in areas outside the archaeological site approved by the government if approved by the landlord. Antiquities found, especially precious metal artifacts, must be reported to the relevant authorities.

The Hampshire Museum received the ring and planned to display it at the Andover Museum in Andover, England.

Cupid love story

The first stories of Cupid and the affair with Psyche appeared at least 2,500 years ago, the classical literature professor at Wheaton College in Norton Massachusetts wrote in his book entitled "Story about Cupid and Psyche " published by Hackett Publishing in 2009.

This love is described in detail in the novel "The Golden Donkey" by the Roman philosopher Apuleius published in the second century.

Painting of Cupid and Psyche of painter Francois Gerard, 1798. (Photo: Live Science).

According to Apuleius, Cupid is a young and charming god, always carrying torches, bows and arrows. The woman who hit Cupid's arrow will fall in love with him. Cupid also likes to nude in crowded places. Because of this hobby, he was scolded by his mother, Venus.

Then Cupid also caused something that made his mother really angry. He brought the naked woman named Psyche. God Venus always expressed contempt for Psyche, envious of her beauty.

She told her son that she would never accept Psyche as a daughter-in-law and ordered her to do some things that a mortal like her could not do. Fortunately, many gods pity and help her.

Finally, Cupid also convinced the council of gods, headed by god Jupiter, to help. The council ordered Venus to give in and agree to Cupid and Psyche to marry and give birth. They turned Psyche into immortality.