Orpheus’ grief causes him to travel to the underworld to bring her back. In the ancient myth, she is bitten by a viper on her wedding day, and dies immediately. Not as much is known about Eurydice, Orpheus’ wife. They revere Dionysus and Persephone, who also both journeyed to, and – importantly – returned from the underworld. Orpheus is also known as a prophet in the Orphic mysteries which were inspired by him. He is often depicted playing the lyre in mosaics and calling animals to him. Ancient poets venerated him and his skill to “allure the trees, the savage animals, and even the insensate rocks, to follow him”, according to Ovid’s Metamorphoses ( bk. In Greek mythology, Orpheus is the son of Calliope, the muse of eloquence and epic poetry, and alternately either the god Apollo or the Thracian king Oeagrus. Orpheus is a musician who dreams of a better world, while Eurydice is more practical, becoming frustrated when Orpheus’ music doesn’t pay for desperately-needed food and firewood.Īnd so Eurydice accepts Hades’ shady offer of a job in his city…. The god Hermes is the show’s narrator, as well as Orpheus’ foster father. The Fates see everything and comment to the audience like a Greek chorus. There are few jobs or food, and the only possible promise of such things is in a mystical city below the ground called Hadestown, run by the god Hades and reluctantly visited by his wife Persephone. It is set in a post-apocalyptic, American Great Depression-era setting. The 2019 Broadway musical Hadestown by Anais Mitchell retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The strength of these relationships is powerful in and of itself it shows that love is worth doing something solely on faith. Though the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is tragic, in a way it echoes Hades and Persephone’s story. Orpheus is one of the best-known mythological musicians, while Hades and Persephone serve as rulers of the Greek afterlife. The myth of Eurydice and Orpheus and the relationship between Hades and Persephone are commonly referenced in Greek mythology, as well as retold in other mediums. Specific myths have been adapted more than others. Greek mythology has captured people’s interest for centuries, in stories and art of all kinds, including oral tradition, theater, poetry, novels, and more. It is archived on this website with the kind permission of the author. According to legend, Orpheus played his lyre so beautifully that the rocks stopped crashing together long enough for the Argonauts to sail through safely.This article was originally published on Ancient World Magazine. On their journey, they encountered many challenges, including having to pass through the Symplegades-a pair of rocks that would crash together whenever anything tried to sail between them. The Argonauts were a band of heroes who sailed on a ship called the Argo in order to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Orpheus and the ArgonautsĪnother famous story about Orpheus is his involvement with the Argonauts. Orpheus quickly became renowned for his musical abilities, and he used his lyre to charm animals and rocks alike. He gave it to Apollo, who then taught Orpheus how to play it. The myth goes that Hermes, the messenger god, found a tortoise shell while he was out wandering and decided to make it into a musical instrument. Orpheus was said to have invented the lyre, which was a stringed instrument that was played with a plectrum. What is the Trojan Horse? The Lyre of Orpheus.As she had not yet reached the opening though, she disappeared back into the Underworld forever. They started walking towards the surface when Orpheus reached the opening of the cave with his wife following, he looked back, anxious to see if Eurydice was behind him. However, they told him not to look back until they had reached the surface. He pleaded to let him take his wife back, and after singing to them, their hearts were softened so much that they agreed. Orpheus indeed followed their advice and met with the god of the Underworld Hades and his wife Persephone. The nymphs and the gods started weeping upon hearing Orpheus' songs, and advised him to go to the Underworld and bring his wife back. Orpheus found his wife's body and due to his grief, started singing the most mournful songs. She tried to avoid him, but she fell into a nest of vipers and she was fatally bitten. Eurydice was having a stroll, when a satyr tried to rape her. Orpheus and Eurydice got married and were living a happy life until something tragic happened.
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