The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of the most famous and beloved Greek myths. A myth about love and passion, and also about the weaknesses of the human spirit.
Who was Orpheus?
Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope, the muse. Apollo gave his son a lyre and taught him to play; Orpheus did it to such perfection that even Apollo was amazed. It is said that nothing could resist his music and melody, neither friend nor foe nor beast. Even the trees and rocks were fascinated by his music.
Orpheus fell in love with Eurydice, a woman of unique beauty; they married and lived happily for many years. Hymenaeus was called upon to bless the marriage and predicted that their perfection should not last for years.
At some point, shortly after his omen, Eurydice was wandering in the forest with the nymphs, when Aristotle, a shepherd, saw her and was seduced by her beauty. He began to pursue her and make advances upon her. Eurydice was frightened and tried to escape, but was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus sang her grief with his lyre and managed to move everything living and non-living in the world; both humans and gods were deeply moved by her pain and affliction.
Orpheus travels to the underworld
Apollo then advised his son to descend into Hades and see his wife. Any other mortal would have died, but Orpheus, protected by the gods, went to Hades and reached the infamous realm of Styx, passing by the ghosts and souls of unknown people. He also managed to enchant Cerberus, the notorious three-headed monster. Orpheus appeared before the god of the underworld Hades (Pluto) and his wife Persephone.
Orpheus began to play for them and even Hades’ cold heart began to melt, due to the melodies coming from Orpheus’ lyre. Hades told Orpheus that he could take Eurydice with him, but on one condition: Eurydice would follow him as he walked into the light from the caves of the underworld, but he was not to look at her before he stepped out into the light because he would lose her forever. If Orpheus were patient enough, he would have Eurydice back on his side as a normal woman.
Myths of Orpheus
The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is the ultimate tragic love story. Perhaps one of the most famous Greek myths, it has inspired many important painters, such as Peter Paul Rubens and Nicolas Poussin. In addition, many operas, songs and plays have been composed to honor these two great lovers who tragically lost the chance to enjoy their love.
It is said that the god Apollo was his father, from whom he took his extreme talent in music, and the muse Calliope was his mother. He lived in Thrace, in northeastern Greece. Orpheus had a divinely gifted voice that could enchant all who heard it. When he was first introduced to the lyre as a child, he mastered it in the blink of an eye.
The myth says that no god or mortal could resist his music and even the rocks and trees would move to be near him. According to some ancient texts, Orpheus is credited with having taught agriculture, writing and medicine to mankind. He is also credited to have been an astrologer, seer and founder of many mystical rites.
Orpheus’ strange and ecstatic music intrigued people’s minds to things rather than the natural and had the power to expand the mind to new and unusual theories. However, apart from his musical talent, Orpheus also had an adventurous nature.
He is believed to have participated in the Argonauts expedition, which is the journey of Jason and his fellow Argonauts to reach Colchis and steal the Golden Fleece. In fact, Orpheus played a vital role during the expedition because, by playing his music, he put to sleep the “unveiled dragon” guarding the Golden Fleece and thus Jason managed to get it.
In addition, Orpheus’ music saved the Argonauts from the Sirens, the strange female creatures who seduced men with their beautiful voices and then killed them. Love at first sight Orpheus used to spend much of his early years in the idyllic pursuits of music and poetry.
Orpheus’ Skill
His skill had far surpassed the fame and respect of his music. Humans and beasts alike would be enchanted by him and often even the most inanimate objects longed to be near him. Already in his youth he had mastered the lyre and his melodious voice drew audiences from near and far. It was at one such gathering of humans and beasts that his eyes fell upon a woodland nymph.
The girl’s name was Eurydice, she was beautiful and shy. She had been attracted to Orpheus in love with his voice and such was the allure of beauty in music and appearance that neither could take their eyes off the other. Something inexplicable stirred the hearts of the two young people and soon they felt very much in love, unable to spend a single moment apart. After a while, they decided to get married. Their wedding day dawned bright and clear. Hymenaeus, the god of marriage, blessed their marriage and a great feast followed.
The surroundings were filled with laughter and merriment. Soon the shadows grew large, signaling the end of the revelry that had lasted much of the day and the wedding guests said goodbye to the newlyweds, who were still sitting hand in hand and starry-eyed. Soon they both realized it was time for them to leave and went home.
Things would soon change and the pain would turn to happiness. There was a man who despised Orpheus and desired Eurydice for himself. Aristotle, a shepherd, had hatched a plan to conquer the beautiful nymph. And there he was, waiting in the bushes for the young couple to pass. Seeing the lovers approaching, he tried to jump over them and kill Orpheus. As the shepherd made his move, Orpheus grabbed Eurydice by the hand and began to run at full speed through the forest.
Pursuit
The chase was long and Aristotle showed no signs of giving up or slowing down. They continued and continued to run and suddenly, Orpheus felt Eurydice stumble and fall, her hand slipping from his grasp. Unable to comprehend what had just happened, he ran to her side but stopped in dismay as his eyes caught the deathly pallor that took over her cheeks. Looking around, he saw no trace of the shepherd, for Aristotle had witnessed the event and had gone away. A few paces away, Eurydice had stepped into a nest of snakes and had been bitten by a deadly viper.
Knowing there was no chance of survival, Aristotle had abandoned his attempt, cursing his luck and Orpheus. After the death of his beloved wife, Orpheus was no longer the same carefree person he used to be. His life without Eurydice seemed endless and he could do nothing but mourn for her.
It was then that he had a brilliant but at the same time crazy idea: he decided to go to the underworld and try to get his wife back. Apollo, her father, was talking to Hades, the god of the underworld, so that he would accept him and listen to his plea. Armed with his weapons, lyre and voice, Orpheus approached Hades and demanded entry into the underworld. None challenged him.
Orpheus, standing before the rulers of the dead, told why he was there, in a mellifluous and haunting voice. He played his lyre and sang to King Hades and Queen Persephone that Eurydice had been returned to him. Not even the stone-hearted people or the gods could have neglected the pain in his voice. Hades wept openly, Persephone’s heart melted and even Cerberus, the gigantic three-headed hound that guarded the entrance to the underworld, covered his ears with his paws and howled in despair.
Orpheus’ voice was so moving that Hades promised this desperate man that Eurydice would follow him to the upper World, the world of the living. However, he warned Orpheus that for no reason should he look back while his wife was still in darkness, for that would undo everything he hoped for. He should wait for Eurydice to enter the light before looking at her.
With great faith in his heart and joy in his singing, Orpheus began his journey out of the Underworld, joyful that he would once again be reunited with his love. As Orpheus was reaching the exit of the Underworld, he could hear his wife’s footsteps approaching him.
He wanted to turn around and embrace her immediately, but he managed to control his feelings. As his approached the exit, his heart beat faster and faster. The moment he stepped into the world of the living, he turned his head to embrace his wife. Unfortunately, he only caught a glimpse of Eurydice before she was dragged back into the underworld.
When Orpheus turned his head, Eurydice was still in darkness, she had not seen the sun and as Hades had warned Orpheus, his sweet wife was drowned again in the dark world of the dead. Waves of anguish and despair overcame him and trembling with pain he approached the Underworld again, but this time he was denied entrance, the gates were closed and the god Hermes, sent by Zeus, would not let him enter.
Death of Orpheus
Orpheus from then on, heartbroken, wandered disoriented, day after day, night after night, in total despair. He could find solace in nothing. His misfortune tormented him, forcing him to refrain from contact with any other woman, and slowly but surely he found himself rejecting her company altogether.
His songs were no longer cheerful, but extremely sad. Her only solace was to lie on a huge rock and feel the caress of the breeze, her only vision was the open skies. And so it was that a group of women, furious at his contempt for them, met him. Orpheus was so desperate that he did not even try to reject their advances.
The women killed him, cut his body into pieces and threw him and his lyre into a river. It is said that his head and lyre floated down the river to the island of Lesbos. There the Muses found them and gave Orpheus a proper burial ceremony. The people believed that his tomb emanated music, mournful but beautiful. His soul descended into Hades where he was finally reunited with his beloved Eurydice.
The comparison with a biblical scene If you look closely at the above myth, you will find a comparison between this ancient Greek myth and a scene from the Bible. The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is similar to the story of Lot.
The analogy of “not looking back” is of great importance to both stories.
The analogy of “not looking back” is of great importance to both stories. In the book of Genesis, when God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities drowned in sin, he commanded a good man, Lot, to take his family and leave the area. God told them to head for the mountains without looking back and the city would be destroyed.
As they were leaving the city, Lot’s wife could not resist and turned around to see the burning cities. She was immediately transformed into a pillar of salt! This can be inferred as a direct and terrifying consequence of disobedience to God.
