Which Roman god was the god of love, often depicted with a bow, equivalent to Greek Eros? Cupid.
Cupid was the Roman god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection, and he was the Roman counterpart of the Greek Eros. His familiar image is a winged boy carrying a bow and arrows: anyone struck by one of his arrows could be overwhelmed by love or desire.
Roman tradition often presented Cupid as the son of Venus, goddess of love, and Mars, god of war. He was also known as Amor, the Latin word for love. In older Greek tradition, Eros could be a primordial power responsible for attraction itself, while later art increasingly portrayed him as a youthful or childlike companion of Aphrodite. Roman and medieval artists blended these traditions, helping create the modern cherubic Cupid.
Cupid’s bow is a frequent source of confusion with Diana or Apollo, who also carry bows. Their weapons have different meanings: Diana’s represent the hunt and Apollo’s relate to archery and prophecy, while Cupid’s arrows provoke passion. His modern association with Valentine’s Day is much broader than his ancient Roman cult, where he generally appeared alongside Venus rather than as an independent major deity.