This is a response to Mel's Fairy Tale Challenge, along with the discussion about Greek gods and putting the guys into togas. This is a retelling of "Cupid and Psyche", which bears such a resemblance to "Beauty and the Beast" I suspect the first to be the origin of the second.
Names: Let's face it -- the guys' names won't fit in ancient Greece, so I've made some changes.
Ezros -- Ezra
Iosias -- Josiah (Ancient Greek had no J)
Stagos -- Buck (Buck=stag)
Yanos -- JD
Natos -- Nathan
Vinos -- Vin
Cresos -- Chris
Aphromaude -- Maude (note: pronounce the final 'e')
King Travos -- Judge Travis
Inessa -- Inez

Once upon a time there was a Greek city-state ruled by a king named Travos, who had three sons: Stagos, Yanos, and Iosias.

Stagos was tall, dark haired and handsome, with a ready smile and a cheerful disposition. He was very fond of flirting with nearly every female in his father's court, and adored his brothers, especially Yanos, the youngest.

Yanos was dark haired, like his brother, but shorter and feistier, with a more serious mein. He loved horses, and could usually be found in the royal stables.

Iosias was the eldest of the three and his father's heir. Though not handsome in the classical sense, he had such a good heart the people loved him for his gentle wisdom and forgot his less-than-good looks.

But he was still unwed even after his brothers had made excellent matches, and there was talk he had somehow offended the gods and should be passed over for the succession.

On Mount Olympus, Aphromaude looked down on her work and smiled. The goddess of love had hardened the hearts of any seeking a match with Iosias. She found the idea of a good heart and gentle wisdom being chosen over a handsome face to be an offense to her sensibilities.

"Appearances are everthing," she told her son Ezros. "Now go down there and make sure he falls madly in love with a harpy. That should remind people of what's important."

Ezros nodded and flew off to do his mother's bidding. Turning himself invisible, he hovered near his target, waiting for the harpy for which his mother had arranged to make her appearance.

As he waited, he listened to Iosias speaking with his brothers and slowly came to see what others had seen in the wise and gentle man. He was so intrigued the harpy's appearance startled him into wounding himself with the arrow intended for the prince, and the damage was done when he looked up and saw Iosias.

Ezros fell helplessly in love with a man his mother detested.

King Travos called together his councillors and asked their advice about the continuing lack of marriage offers for his eldest son.

"Perhaps you should consult an oracle, to see if the gods may be appeased," said Natos the Nubian, the court physician and confidant to Prince Iosias.

"What if the gods can't be appeased?" asked Cresos, Captian of the King's Guard and close friend to Prince Stagos.

"I've never found the gods to be completely unreasonable," said Vinos, the Royal Huntsman and friend to Prince Yanos.

A messenger was sent to the temple of Aphromaude, and her priestess Inessa returned the following message:

"The Prince Iosias must be taken to the top of the highest mountain in the kingdom and left to his fate. He is to carry neither food nor water nor weapons, and must be left alone."

The black-clad procession started off at dawn the next morning, moving slowly as befitted a furneral for royalty. Cresos, Natos, and Vinos rode with the brothers, as did the preistess Inessa. King Travos declared a period of mourning for his son.

They reached the summit of the mountain just after midday, and the brothers bade each other a tearful farewell. Yanos declared it wasn't fair and begged to be allowed to remain in his brother's place, or to at least stay with him. Iosias reminded him he had a new bride to take care of, and their father was heartsore enough at the loss of one son.

Inessa reminded everyone the prince was to be left alone, and the others reluctantly departed.

Shortly after they were out of sight, Iosias was lifted up by a strong zephyr and carried away.

The prince was carried to a magnificent palace high on a mountain and set gently down in the courtyard. Invisible servants led him inside to a spacious bath, where he was disrobed and bathed. After being thoroughly dried, he was dressed in the softest robes he'd ever felt and led to a banquet hall, where he was fed the finest foods and given the best drink he'd ever tasted. All was accomplished by unseen servants, and all he desired was his for the asking. He wondered when he would meet his host to thank him, her, or it for their hospitality, but as often as he asked, he received no reply of any sort.

As evening drew close, he was led to a large ornate bedroom and disrobed. The bed covers drew themselves back invitingly, and he lay down, wondering what would happen next. His eyes grew heavy, and he drifted off.

He was awakened by the shifting of the bed as another body lay down next to him. Suddenly fearful, he asked, "Who are you?"

"Don't be afraid," a soft voice said, "I've no intention of doing you any harm. Are you not happy here? Is there anything you desire which you have not been given?"

Iosias could think of several things he desired which he doubted he would ever be given, but didn't say anything about them. "Why was I brought here, instead of being left to die?"

"Because I love you." Unseen hands began to touch Iosias, and unseen lips trailed kisses along his jaw.

Fear gave way to passion in the darkness. Iosias had never known such a lover, and he was more than ready when his opening was breached, arching his back and calling encourgament to the unseen man who filled him so well. He was carried to Olympus' heights by his lover's strong thrusts, only to cry out his completion and plunge like others who'd dared such heights and been struck down for their presumption.

When Iosias recovered, it was in the arms of his love. "Will you tell me your name, so I may sing its praises to the gods?"

"Someday, perhaps," the man's voice replied in the darkness, "but not just now."

They spent the night in lovemaking, but when dawn lightened the sky the prince's unseen lover slipped away.

Iosias spent his days in luxury beyond even his father's court, and his nights in the passion of his unknown, and unseen, lover's arms. He had all he could ever dream of save for one thing -- there was none with whom he could speak. The invisible servants were mute as well, and he missed the sound of another's voice during the long days.

He mentioned this one night to his lover, as well as saying how much he missed his brothers. "Might I not be allowed to visit?" he pleaded.

Ezros refused to allow his love to leave; he did, however, allow the brothers to visit, sending word to them via his mother's priestess Inessa.

Stagos and Yanos spent several days with their brother, admiring his palace and the luxuries their brother had been given, but when they asked asked about Iosias' beloved, the elder prince always managed to change the subject or otherwise distract them. Finally they succeeded in discovering Iosias had never seen his host, and were horrified to discover it was male instead of female as they'd assumed.

"This can't go on," Stagos told his brother.

"What would Father say?" added Yanos.

Iosias protested he loved his captor, but his brothers pressured him into agreeing to conceal a lamp and a sword in his bedchamber, so he might see what sort of creature was sharing his bed and slay it if necessary.

It was more than a week after his brothers had left when he had the opportunity to put their plan into action. While his lover slept after they'd made love, he slipped guiltily out of bed, lit the lamp and took up the sword. He turned toward the bed --

• and beheld the beauty of the god Ezros. Lowering the sword, for he now had no need for it, he raised his lamp and drew nearer the bed. As he bent over the sleeping god, his hand shook, and an errant drop of oil landed on Ezros' shoulder, waking him as it burnt his perfect flesh.

He was up and away before Iosias could stop him, ignoring the prince's call, saying only, "Love cannot live where there is no trust."

Iosias was crushed at what he'd done, and threw himself from cliffs surrounding the palace. He was caught by the same zephyr which had brought him there and carried him back to the roof of his father's palace.

"I could have told you, dear boy, that it wouldn't work."

"Mother, please. I've no wish to discuss it." Ezros draped himself over the end of the couch and looked down on the world below. He already regretted leaving Iosias and ordering the Zephyr to take him home.

King Travos was overjoyed at the return of his eldest son, as were all the people of the court. Stagos and Yanos were quick to include their brother in their activities. Stagos held a party with the best hetarae in the city, while Yanos took him on a hunt through the surrounding hills.

Neither did a thing to cheer Iosias, nor could the lengthy discussions with Natos bring any relief to his broken heart.

A week after his return to his father, he renounced the crown and left the city. Iosias wandered the countryside, seeking some way to return to his beloved Ezros. One day he saw a temple high on a hillside. Thinking it might be a way to his love, he climbed the hill and entered.

Inside the temple, he found ears and sheaves of corn mingled along with ears of barley. Also scattered about he found sickles, rakes, and all the tools for harvest. He immediately set about tidying the temple, sorting the grain and putting the tools in their proper places. When he had finished he lay down, being weary from his labor.

He dreamed, and in his dreams he saw the goddess Demeter. "This is my temple, and I thank you for tidying it for me. Though I cannot sheild you from Aphromaude's wrath, I can offer this advice. Go to her temple and surrender yourself to her, and try by humility and submission to win her forgiveness and favor. Then, perhaps, you will be returned to the one you love."

He awoke the next morning and retraced his steps, returning to Aphromaude's temple and submitting himself to her preistess Inessa.

Inessa led him to the inner temple, where the goddess herself awaited him. "My son seems to feel there's some merit in you, though for my own part I fail to see it. For all your piety you're ill-favored of face; hardly a suitable mate for my son. You'll need to earn your place by deeds."

The first task she set him was to sort the grain which had been offered to feed her pigeons. Great piles of mixed wheat, barley, millet, vetches, beans, and lentils stood throughout the storehouse to which Iosias had been led. He was told to have the task completed by evening.

Iosias took up a handful of grain and began, despairing he'd have it done before the next harvest, let alone evening.

Ezros had seen what his mother had done, however, and sent ants to assist him. They quickly sorted the piles of grain, finishing just before the deadline and quietly stealing away. When Aphromaude appeared at dusk, she found the task completed.

"You had help, and I know who," she told Iosias. She tossed him a crust of black bread and told him she'd have another task for him in the morning.

The next day Iosias was led to a nearby grove bordered by a stream, and ordered to gather fleeces from every golden-fleeced sheep who dwelt there. He was about to cross the stream and attempt to catch the sheep when the nymph who dwelt in the stream warned him the sheep were fierce man-killers during the heat of the day. She advised he wait until they were resting in the shade of the trees on the far side of the grove, then gather the fleeces from the bushes where they'd been pulled from the sheep. Iosias thanked her and wished her well, then followed her instructions.

When he presented the fleeces to Aphromaude, she frowned, knowing Ezros hadn't helped this time.

"You've yet to earn your place by my son's side." She handed him a box. "Take this to the underworld, to Persephone, and say to her, 'My mistress Aphromaude asks that you give her some of your beauty, since she has lost some of her own tending her son's wound.' Bring the box back here straightaway, without stopping or opening the box."

Iosias took the box and went to the top of a nearby tower, intending to throw himself off a nd so go down to the underworld. He was stopped by Cresos, who knew of a cave which went to Hades' realm, and Vinos, who was able to offer advice on bribing Charon and avoiding Cerberus.

With the words of his brothers' friends he sucessfully navigated the perils of the underworld, and was soon returning with the box. But the beauty within proved too much of a temptation to the prince. 'If it's my ill-favored face which Aphromaude finds so objectionable,' he thought, 'perhaps a bit of this beauty would make it less so.' He stopped along the way and opened the box.

He found nothing within save for a misty darkness which wrapped around him and sent him into a deep slumber.

Ezros, being fully cured of his wound and wishing to see his beloved again, came upon him just after the box was opened. He quickly gathered the mist and put it back in the box, waking Iosias with a touch from one of his arrows.

"That was a foolish thing to do," he told the prince. "Go quickly now to my mother, and I'll see if I can prevail upon Zeus on our behalf."

As quickly as lightning, Ezros flew to Olympus and presented his case to Zeus, who found favor with the couple. He pleaded the cause to Aphromaude so well she finally relented and allowed Ezros to take Iosias as his mate.

Zeus called for Hermes next, and sent that swift messenger Earthward to fetch Iosias, who was given ambrosia upon his arrival, and with it eternal youth and life. Ezros and Iosias dwelt thereafter in the perfect bliss of Olympus.