Orpheus And Eurydice Flashcards
Who is Orpheus
One of the most gifted mortals son of the Muse calliope
He had the gift of music. Apollo gave him a lyre to play with and his only rivals were the gods
Was he magic
He had the ability to move objects to follow his music
Who was Eurydice
Eurydice was a tree nymph and Orpheus’s wife
What happened to Eurydice
Eurydice got bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus was so upset he vowed to go to the underworld and bring her back
Did he get to the underworld
Yes he charmed the ferryman Charon and got to the otherside of river Styx and hades and Persephone were enchanted and granted him Eurydice, under 1 condition that he wouldn’t look back at her until they reached the upper world
Did Eurydice make it back
No, Orpheus looked back at her at the final step and she disappeared forever
Did Orpheus move on
No he locked himself away and did not properly honour Dionysus so a band of Maenads killed him
Is there a happier ending
Yes the roman poet Ovid says Orpheus’s ghost passed through the underworld and was reunited with Eurydice
