Origen

“ The present, however, is not the proper time for explaining either the myth of Plato, or the story of the serpent and the paradise of God, and all that is related to have taken place in it, as in our exposition of the book of Genesis we have especially occupied ourselves as we best could with these matters. ”

“ But, on the other hand, in conformity with the character of his father, he is given to plotting against the beautiful and the good, being courageous, and hasty, and vehement; [9] a keen [10] hunter, perpetually devising contrivances; both much given to forethought, and also fertile in resources; [11] acting like a philosopher throughout the whole of his life ”

“ And on this account Eros has become the follower and attendant of Aphrodite, having been begotten on her birthday feast, [5] and being at the same time by nature a lover of the beautiful, because Aphrodite too is beautiful. Seeing, then, that Eros is the son of Porus and Penia, the following is his condition. [6] In the first place, he is always poor, and far from being delicate and beautiful, as most persons imagine ”