Question

What tasks must Psyche perform for Venus? How are they accomplished?

Answer 1

After having Psyche whipped by Worry and Sadness and then mocking her for conceiving a child in a sham marriage, Venus ordered Psyche to sort out a great mass of mixed wheat, barley, poppyseed, chickpeas, and lentils, and  that she must do it by dawn. Venus then goes to a wedding feast, and a kind ant brings several other ants to do the work for her. Angry, Venus gives Psyche a crust of bread. Psyche then learns that Cupid is also in the house, suffering from his injury, sustained when Psyche spilled hot oil on him. 

Venus  then insists that Psyche cross a river and gather golden wool from some violent sheep belonging to the sun. Intending to drown herself, Psyche receives advice form a divinely inspired reed and gathers the wool caught on briers. 

The third task Venus gives Psyche is to collect water from the source of the River Styx in a crystal vial. Jupiter, moved by Psyche's plight, sends his own eagle to do the work for her. 

Finally, Venus sends Psyche to the Underworld to get some of Porsopina's beauty. Instructed how to go about this task by the tower from which Psyche was going to fling herself, Psyche retrieves the box from Porsopina, and is barely back in the light of day when she opens the box out of curiosity and ends up in a deep Stygian sleep. 

However, by this point, Cupid has healed and escaped his mother's house. He flies to Psyche, revives her, puts the sleep back into the box, and flies Psyche to present the box to Venus. 

Jupiter then gives his blessing to the marriage, orders Venus to back off, and gives Psyche some ambrosia, allowing Psyche and Cupid to be wed as equals.