Aphrodite punished Psyche primarily by attempting to make her fall in love with a hideous creature. She tasked her son, Eros, with inflicting this punishment.
Aphrodite, consumed by jealousy of Psyche's beauty, felt threatened by the attention Psyche received. Her plan unfolded as follows:
- Aphrodite's Command: She ordered Eros (Cupid) to use his arrows to make Psyche fall passionately in love with a wretched and undesirable man. The reference states that Aphrodite commanded Eros to "Punish mercilessly that arrogant beauty… Let this girl be seized with a burning passion for the lowest of mankind…"
However, Eros's actions ultimately diverged from Aphrodite's intended punishment, leading to a different outcome in the myth. While Aphrodite initially aimed to humiliate and degrade Psyche through a loveless match, her plan was thwarted by Eros himself.
In summary, Aphrodite’s initial punishment for Psyche involved instructing Eros to make her fall in love with a monstrous being, a plan disrupted by Eros's own affections for Psyche.