Orpheus and Eurydice - who are they in mythology? PR in Ancient Mythology Communicative means of creating images and symbols.

Wonderful lyre of Orpheus. Once born to two immortal gods, the river god Eagra and the beautiful muse Calliope, a boy. The mother was delighted and gave him the best thing she could - a voice of wondrous beauty. When the child, who was named Orpheus, grew up, he was sent to study with the most golden-haired Apollo, the god of sunlight, music and poetry. Apollo taught Orpheus all the arts. When Orpheus played the lyre or sang, people stopped what they were doing and listened with bated breath. And not only people! The predatory hawk stopped chasing the dove, the wolf left the deer alone, the branches of the trees leaned towards the singing Orpheus, even the stones tried to roll closer to him, the rivers stopped their course and listened to the singer, trying not to miss a single sound. Conquered everyone Magic power his art.

Love of Orpheus and Eurydice. The beautiful nymph Eurydice once heard Orpheus singing and fell in love with him. For hours she could watch how Orpheus fingered the sonorous strings of the lyre, listen to the enchanting sounds of his voice. Orpheus also fell in love with Eurydice; now they were constantly together, with the name of Eurydice on his lips, the singer fell asleep and woke up. Orpheus dedicated his best songs to their extraordinary love. When they decided to become husband and wife, the immortal gods themselves feasted at their wedding. Orpheus and Eurydice were immensely happy; Day after day flew by, bringing nothing but joy and love.

Death of Eurydice. But their happiness was short-lived. One day, Eurydice wandered through a beautiful forest clearing, picking flowers and waiting for her beloved husband. The sun warmed tenderly, all living things rejoiced in it and bathed in its life-giving rays. Even the snake left its cold lair and got out to bask in the sun. Eurydice did not notice her and stepped on her foot. The snake hissed and bit in the leg young nymph. The poison acted quickly, Eurydice fell on green grass, having only managed to whisper: “Orpheus, where are you, oh, my Orpheus?” Eurydice died. Her nymph friends gathered around her, wept, grieved for her untimely death. The swift-winged birds brought the sad news to Orpheus, he hurried to the place where the misfortune happened. Like crazy, Orpheus rushed to his beloved wife. He took her in his arms and laid his head on her chest. He wanted to die next to her. Sorrow spilled over nature: all living things mourned Eurydice. Deep sadness settled in the heart of Orpheus. He could not stay in the house where he was so happy with Eurydice, he could no longer sing wonderful songs, only his lyre made sad sounds.

Orpheus in Hades. Orpheus realized that he could not live without Eurydice and decided to go down to Hades, to the underground gods. Suddenly it will be possible to pity them, and they will return their beloved wife! The entrance to the underworld was in the very south of the country of the Greeks, Hellas. Apollo asked Hermes to be Orpheus' guide. Hermes agreed, he wanted Orpheus to become happy and joyful again, as before.

And so they got to the gloomy gates of Hades. Orpheus said goodbye to Hermes and went on alone. He reached the gloomy waters of the underground river Acheron. The shadows of the dead crowded on its shore, waiting for the carrier Charon to ferry them on a boat to the other side. He saw a living person among the shadows rushing into the boat and yelled: “Hey! And where are you going? I won’t take you, there is no way through Acheron for a living person!” Then Orpheus took the lyre and began to play, so beautifully, wonderfully and sincerely that Charon heard. Continuing to play, Orpheus got into the boat, and Charon took him to the other side. The singer got out of the boat and went to the palace of King Hades; his singing was so beautiful that the shadows of the dead flocked to him from all sides. Here is the palace of the eternally gloomy god; he sits on a golden throne, and next to him is the goddess of the dead, Persephone. Orpheus hit the strings harder, the song became louder. He sang about his wife, about the love that bound them forever, about the happy spring days when they were together, he sang about the bitterness of loss, about the torments that he endures, having lost his beloved ... His singing was so beautiful that tears shone before the eyes of Persephone, and even Hades himself seemed moved.

Hades condition. But now the song of Orpheus froze, like a barely audible sigh of sadness, and then the lord of the underworld asked: “Tell me, what do you want? By the waters of the Styx, I will fulfill your wish." “Oh, mighty Hades! When the time comes, you accept all of us mortals into your kingdom. Not a single one will pass your monastery, but let Eurydice go to earth for at least a few years, let her know the joys of life more fully, because she came to you so young! See how I suffer; so would you suffer if your Persephone were taken from you!” “Okay, Orpheus! I will return your wife. But remember: while you are walking through my kingdom, do not look back. If you look back at least once, you will never see Eurydice.”

Orpheus violates the condition. Orpheus hurried back. Farther and farther away he goes from the palace of Hades along the path leading to the ground; now the river Acheron is behind, now it is already dawning ahead daylight... Orpheus does not hear steps behind him: shadows are ethereal, they do not make a sound when walking. Is Eurydice following him? Suddenly she got lost, lagged behind, remained in Hades? Orpheus could not stand it, looked back. He saw the shadow of Eurydice, but only for one brief moment the vision lasted, the shadow flew back into the darkness of eternal night. In vain did Orpheus call his wife, in vain did he follow her to the banks of Acheront, in vain he stood on the banks of the underground river for seven days - the singer was left forever alone!

Loneliness of Orpheus. Orpheus returned to earth. Four years have passed since the death of Eurydice, but he still remained faithful to her. Orpheus did not even want to look at a single woman, he fled from people and wandered alone through forests and mountains, mourning his love. He especially avoided Bacchantes - impudent and violent maidens who loved noisy fun, and of all the gods revered one - Dionysus, the god of viticulture and winemaking, dances, games and feasts.

The Bacchantes throw stones at Orpheus. Once he sat on the bank of a stream and sang a song beloved by Eurydice. Suddenly there were loud shouts and laughter; soon a crowd of Bacchantes came out to the stream, cheerful, excited: they celebrated the feast of Dionysus-Bacchus that day. One of them noticed Orpheus and exclaimed: “Here he is, our hater!” She grabbed a stone and threw it at Orpheus, but the stone did not hit the singer - defeated by enchanting singing, the stone fell at his feet, as if begging for forgiveness. However, the Bacchantes seemed to be distraught: a cloud of stones rushed to Orpheus, their exclamations became louder and more obscene. They completely drowned out the singing, and now the stones were already stained with the blood of the singer. The sight of blood drove the Bacchantes to a real frenzy. Like beasts of prey, they attacked Orpheus and killed him. The dead body of Orpheus was torn to pieces, and his lyre was thrown into the fast waters of the Gebr River. And then a miracle happened: the lyre carried away by the waves sounded softly, as if mourning the death of the singer, and in response all nature sobbed to her. Trees and flowers wept, animals and birds wept, rocks wept, and there were so many tears that rivers and lakes overflowed.

Lesbos gives last shelter to Orpheus. The river carried the head of Orpheus and his lyre into the sea, and the waves of the sea carried them to the island of Lesbos. The singer's head was buried there, and since then the most beautiful songs in the world have been heard on Lesvos; many famous singers and poets were born on this island. And the gods placed the lyre of Orpheus in the sky among the constellations.

The Immortals were angry with the mad Bacchantes for their atrocity; Dionysus turned them into oaks: in which place each of them was caught by the wrath of God, in that they remained to stand forever, with belated repentance rustling the foliage.

The shadow of Orpheus descended into Hades, and there he again met his Eurydice and concluded in a gentle embrace. Since then, they have been inseparable. They can forever wander through the fields of gloomy Hades, and Orpheus is free to look back without fear of losing his beloved Eurydice.

Ancient Greek myth "Orpheus and Eurydice"

Genre: Ancient Greek myth

The main characters of the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice" and their characteristics

  1. Orpheus, a talented singer. Loyal, loving, fearless, impatient.
  2. Eurydice, young, beautiful, shy.
  3. Hades, dark god of the underworld. Harsh, but fair and a little romantic.
  4. Charon, a ferryman across the Styx. Gloomy, harsh, unsociable.
Plan for retelling the tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
  1. Orpheus and his wife Eurydice
  2. Tragedy in the forest
  3. Orpheus is looking for a way to the underworld
  4. Orpheus enchants Charon
  5. Orpheus in the palace of Hades
  6. Orpheus sings for Hades
  7. Orpheus' request
  8. Hades condition
  9. Haste of Orpheus
  10. Loneliness of Orpheus.
The shortest content of the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice" for reader's diary in 6 sentences
  1. The beautiful Eurydice fell in love with the singer Orpheus and became his wife.
  2. Once in the forest she was stung by a snake and Eurydice was carried away by the god of death.
  3. Orpheus went to look for the realm of the dead and found the river Styx.
  4. Charon did not want to transport Orpheus, but he began to sing and no one dared to refuse him.
  5. Orpheus came to the palace of Hades, sang his song, and Hades released the shadow of Eurydice.
  6. Orpheus turned around at the exit from the cave and the shadow of Eurydice flew away.
The main idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
There are no barriers to love, except for your own haste.

What does the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice" teach
The tale teaches true and selfless love. It teaches you to strive to always be with your loved one, teaches you not to part with your loved ones. Teaches not to be afraid of obstacles, long journey, night shadows. Teaches you to be brave, even fearless. It teaches that talent is honored everywhere. It teaches you not to be hasty, and to strictly observe agreements with those who are stronger than you.

Review of the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
I liked this romantic story, although of course it's a pity that Orpheus, having made such a long and dangerous journey, could not resist and endure a couple more minutes. Then Eurydice would be free. But too much haste ruined the whole thing. But Orpheus himself managed to descend into the realm of the dead and return alive.

Proverbs to the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
The quieter you go, the further you'll get.
Speed ​​is needed, and haste is harmful.
For a darling, seven miles is not a suburb.
Great love is not quickly forgotten.
The work of the master is afraid.

Read summary, brief retelling fairy tales "Orpheus and Eurydice"
Lived in Ancient Greece famous singer Orpheus. Everyone liked his songs very much, and the beautiful Eurydice fell in love with his songs. She became the wife of Orpheus, but they were not together for long.
It so happened that soon, Eurydice was frightened by the noise in the forest, ran and inadvertently stepped on the snake's nest. She was stung by a snake and Orpheus, who ran to the cries of his wife, saw only the black wings of the bird of death, which took Eurydice with it.
Orpheus' grief was immeasurable. He retired to the forests and there in songs he poured out his longing for his beloved.
And his grief was so great, his songs were so piercing that the animals came out to listen to them, and the trees surrounded Orpheus. And Orpheus prayed for death in order to meet Eurydice at least in the halls of death. But death did not come.
And then Orpheus himself went in search of death. In the cave of Tenara, he found a stream that flowed into the underground river Styx, and went down the stream to the banks of the Styx. Beyond this river began the realm of the dead.
Behind Orpheus, the shadows of the dead crowded, waiting for their turn to cross the Styx. And now a boat landed on the shore, the rules of which were the carrier dead souls Charon. Souls began to board the boat and Orpheus asked Charon to transport him to the other side.
But Charon pushed Orpheus away, saying that he carries only the dead. And then Orpheus sang. He sang so well that the dead shadows heard him, and Charon himself heard him. And Orpheus entered the boat and demanded to be taken to the other side. And Charon obeyed, enchanted by the music.
And Orpheus crossed into land of the dead, and walked along it in search of Eurydice, continuing to sing. And the dead parted before him. So Orpheus got to the palace of the god of the underworld.
Hades himself and his wife Persephone sat on the throne in the palace. Behind them stood the god of Death, with black wings folded, Kera crowded nearby, taking the lives of warriors on the battlefield. Here the judges judged the souls.
Memories hid in the shadows in the corners of the hall, whipping souls with whips of living snakes.
And Orpheus saw many other monsters in the Underworld - Lamius, who steal children at night, Empusa, with donkey legs, who drinks the blood of people, Stygian dogs.
Only the young god of sleep, Hypnos, rushed around the hall joyfully. He gave everyone a wonderful drink, from which everyone fell asleep.
And then Orpheus sang. The gods listened in silence, bowing their heads. And when Orpheus finished, Hades asked him what he wanted for his singing, and promised to fulfill any of his desires.
And Orpheus began to ask that Hades release his Eurydice, because sooner or later she will return to the kingdom of the dead anyway. And Orpheus began to beg Persephone to intercede for him before Hades.
Hades agreed to return Eurydice to Orpheus, but put one condition. Orpheus should not have seen his beloved while she was following him like a shadow. Only after leaving the realm of the dead into the sunlight could Orpheus look back. Orpheus agreed and ordered Hades to follow the shadow of Eurydice.
So they passed the realm of the dead and Charon transported them through the Styx. They began to climb up in the cave, and already daylight appeared ahead. And then Orpheus could not stand it and turned around, he wanted to check whether Eurydice was really following him. For a moment he saw the shadow of his beloved, but she immediately flew away.
Orpheus rushed back and sobbed for a long time on the banks of the Styx, but no one answered his prayers. Then Orpheus returned to the world of the living and lived alone long life. But he remembered his beloved and sang it in his songs.

Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"

Orpheus is one of the most mysterious figures in world history, about which there is very little information that can be called reliable, but at the same time there are a lot of myths, fairy tales, and legends. It's hard to imagine today world history and culture without Greek temples, without classical examples of sculpture, without Pythagoras and Plato, without Heraclitus and Hesiod, without Aeschylus and Euripides. In all this are the roots of what we now call science, art, and culture in general. If we turn to the origins, then all World culture based on Greek culture, the impulse to development that Orpheus brought: these are the canons of art, the laws of architecture, the laws of music, etc. Orpheus appears at a very difficult time for the history of Greece: people plunged into a semi-wild state, the cult of physical strength, the cult of Bacchus, the most base and gross manifestations.

At this moment, and this was about 5 thousand years ago, the figure of a man appears, whom legends called the son of Apollo, blinding his physical and spiritual beauty. Orpheus - his name is translated as "healing with light" ("aur" - light, "rfe" - to heal). In myths, he is told about him as the son of Apollo, from whom he receives his instrument, a 7-string lyre, to which he subsequently added 2 more strings, making it an instrument of 9 muses. (muses as nine perfect forces of the soul, leading along the path and with the help of which this path can be passed. According to another version, he was the son of the king of Thrace and the muse Calliope, the muse of epic and heroic poetry. According to myths, Orpheus participated in the journey of the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece, helping out your friends during trials.

One of the most famous myths is the myth of the love of Orpheus and Eurydice. Beloved of Orpheus, Eurydice dies, her soul goes to the underworld to Hades, and Orpheus, driven by the power of love for his beloved, descends after her. But when the goal had already seemed to have been achieved, and he was supposed to connect with Eurydice, he was overcome by doubts. Orpheus turns around and loses his beloved great love unites them only in heaven. Eurydice represents the divine soul of Orpheus, with whom he unites after death.

Orpheus continues the struggle against the lunar cults, against the cult of Bacchus, he dies torn to pieces by the Bacchantes. The myth also says that the head of Orpheus prophesied for some time, and it was one of the most ancient oracles of Greece. Orpheus sacrifices himself and dies, but before his death he accomplished the work that he must accomplish: he brings light to people, heals with light, brings an impulse for a new religion and a new culture. new culture and religion, the revival of Greece is born in the hardest struggle. At the moment when the rough reigned physical strength, comes the one who brings the religion of purity, beautiful asceticism, the religion of high ethics and morality, which served as a counterbalance.

The teachings and religion of the Orphics brought the most beautiful hymns, through which the priests conveyed the grains of Orpheus's wisdom, the doctrine of the Muses, helping people through their sacraments, discover new powers in themselves. Homer, Hesiod and Heraclitus relied on the teachings of Orpheus, Pythagoras became a follower of the Orphic religion, who became the founder of the Pythagorean school as a revival of the Orphic religion in a new capacity. Thanks to Orpheus, the mysteries are again reborn in Greece - in the two centers of Eleusis and Delphi.

Eleusis or "the place where the goddess came" is associated with the myth of Demeter and Persephone. The essence of the Eleusinian mysteries in the mysteries of purification and rebirth, they were based on the passage of the soul through trials.

Another component of the religion of Orpheus is the mysteries at Delphi. Delphi, as a combination of Dionysus and Apollo, represented the harmony of opposites that the Orphic religion carried in itself. Apollo, characterizing the order, the proportionality of everything, gives the basic laws and principles for the construction of everything, the construction of cities, temples. And Dionysus as back side, as a deity of constant change, constant overcoming of all emerging obstacles. The Dionysian principle in a person is constant inexhaustible enthusiasm, makes it possible to constantly move, strive for something new, and the Apollonian principle strives at the same time for harmony, clarity and proportion. These two beginnings were united in the Delphic temple. The holidays that took place in it were associated with the combination of these two principles. In this temple, soothsayers speak on behalf of Apollo Delphic oracle- Pythia.

Orpheus brought the doctrine of the muses, the nine powers human soul, which appear in the form of 9 most beautiful muses. Each of them has its own component as a principle, like notes in divine music. The muse of history is Clio, the muse of oratory and hymns is Polyhymnia, the muse of comedy and tragedy is Thalia and Melpomene, the muse of music is Euterpe, the muse of the vault of heaven is Urania, the muse of divine dance is Terpsichore, the muse of love is Erato, and the muse of heroic poetry.

The teaching of Orpheus is the teaching of light, purity and great boundless love, it was received by all mankind, and every person inherited part of the light of Orpheus. This is a gift from the gods that lives in the soul of each of us. And through it you can comprehend everything: both the forces of the soul hidden inside, and Apollo and Dionysus, the divine harmony of the beautiful muses. Maybe this is what will give a person a feeling of real life, filled with inspiration and the light of love.

The myth of Eurydice and Orpheus

IN Greek myths Orpheus finds Eurydice and with the power of his love even touches the heart of the lord of hell Hades, who allows him to bring Eurydice out of the underworld, but on the condition that if he looks back and looks at her before Eurydice comes out into the light of day, he will lose her forever. And in the drama, Orpheus loses Eurydice, cannot stand and look at her, she disappears and his whole remaining life passes in hopeless grief.

In fact, the end of this story is different. Yes, the great heavenly Love of Orpheus aroused compassion in the heart of Hades. But he does not lose Eurydice. The heart of the underworld denotes the sacraments. Orpheus finds Eurydice, because he is approaching the mysteries of heaven, the mysteries of Nature, the secret. And every time he tries to look at her, Eurydice runs away from him - like the Star of the Magi appears to show the way, and then disappears to wait for the person to reach the distances that she showed him.

Eurydice goes to heaven and inspires Orpheus from heaven. And every time when Orpheus, through his beautiful music, inspired, approaches the sky, he meets Eurydice. If he is too attached to the earth, Eurydice cannot sink so low, and this is the reason for their separation. The closer he is to heaven, the closer he is to Eurydice.

Orpheus about Eurydice

At this time, the Bacchantes had already begun to bewitch Eurydice with their charms, trying to seize her will.

Attracted by some vague premonition to the valley of Hekate, I once walked among the thick grasses of the meadow and all around reigned the horror of the dark forests frequented by the Bacchae. saw Eurydice. She walked slowly, not seeing me, heading towards the cave. Eurydice stopped, indecisive, and then resumed her path, as if impelled by magical power, closer and closer to the mouth of hell. But I discerned the sleeping sky in her eyes. I called her, I took her by the hand, I called out to her: “Eurydice! Where are you going? As if awakened from a dream, she let out a cry of horror and, freed from the spell, fell on my chest. And then the Divine Eros conquered us, we exchanged glances, so Eurydice - Orpheus became spouses forever.

But the Bacchantes did not reconcile themselves, and one day one of them offered Eurydice a cup of wine, promising that if she drinks it, the science of magical herbs and love drinks will be revealed to her. Eurydice, in a fit of curiosity, drank it and fell down, as if struck by lightning. The cup contained a deadly poison.

When I saw the body of Eurydice burned at the stake, when the last traces of her living flesh had disappeared, I asked myself: where is her soul? And I went in inexpressible despair. I wandered all over Greece. I prayed to the priests of Samothrace to summon her soul. I searched for this soul in the bowels of the earth and everywhere I could penetrate, but in vain. In the end, I came to the Trophonian cave.

There, the priests lead the brave visitor through a fissure to fiery lakes that boil in the bowels of the earth and show him what is happening in these bowels. Penetrating to the end and seeing what no mouth should utter, I returned to the cave and fell into Sopor. During this dream, Eurydice appeared to me and said: “For my sake, you were not afraid of hell, you were looking for me among the dead. I heard your voice, I came. I live on the edge of both worlds and cry just like you. If you want to free me, save Greece and give her light. And then my wings will be returned to me, and I will rise to the luminaries, and you will find me again in the bright region of the Gods. Until then, I must wander in the kingdom of darkness, disturbing and mournful ... "

Three times I wanted to grab her, three times she disappeared from my arms. I heard a sound like a broken string, and then a voice, faint as a breath, sad as a farewell kiss, whispered, “Orpheus!!”

At that sound, I woke up. This name, given to me by her soul, transformed my whole being. I felt the sacred thrill of infinite desire and the power of superhuman love penetrate me. A living Eurydice would give me the bliss of happiness, a dead Eurydice would lead me to the truth. Out of love for her, I put on linen garments and achieved great initiation and the life of an ascetic. Out of love for her, I penetrated the secrets of magic and the depths of divine science; out of love for her, I passed through the caves of Samothrace, through the wells of the Pyramids, and through the tombs of Egypt. I penetrated into the bowels of the earth to find life in it. And on the other side of life, I saw the edges of the worlds, I saw souls, luminous spheres, the ether of the Gods. The earth opened before me its abysses, and the sky its flaming temples. I plucked the secret science from under the veils of mummies. The priests of Isis and Osiris revealed their secrets to me. They only had their Gods, I had Eros. By his power I penetrated the verbs of Hermes and Zoroaster; by its power I uttered the verb of Jupiter and Apollo!

E. Shure "Great Initiates"

The great singer Orpheus, the son of the river god Eagra and the muse Calliope, lived in distant Thrace. Orpheus' wife was the beautiful nymph Eurydice. Orpheus loved her dearly. But Orpheus did not enjoy long happy life with his wife. Once, shortly after the wedding, the beautiful Eurydice was gathering spring flowers with her young nymph friends in a green valley. Eurydice did not notice the snake in the thick grass and stepped on it. The snake stung the young wife of Orpheus in the leg. Eurydice screamed loudly and fell into the arms of her friends who ran up. Eurydice turned pale, her eyes closed. The snake's venom ended her life. The girlfriends of Eurydice were horrified, and their mournful crying resounded far. Orpheus heard him. He hurries to the valley and there he sees the corpse of his dearly beloved wife. Orpheus was in despair. He could not come to terms with this loss. For a long time he mourned his Eurydice, and all nature wept, hearing his sad singing.

Finally, Orpheus decided to descend into the gloomy kingdom of the souls of the dead in order to beg Hades and Persephone to return his wife to him. Orpheus descended through the gloomy cave of Tenara to the banks of the sacred river Styx.

Orpheus stands on the banks of the Styx. How can he cross to the other side, to where the kingdom of Hades is located? Orpheus is surrounded by the shadows of the dead. Their groans are barely audible, like the rustle of leaves falling in the forest in late autumn. The splash of oars was heard in the distance. This is the boat of the carrier of the souls of the dead Charon. Charon moored to the shore. Asks Orpheus to transport him along with the souls to the other side, but the stern Charon refused him. No matter how Orpheus prays to him, he hears everything one answer of Charon: “No!”

The legend "Orpheus and Eurydice" is considered one of the classic stories about eternal love. The lover did not have the strength and perseverance to bring his wife out of the Kingdom of the Dead, than he doomed himself to wandering and mental anguish. But, if you think about it, this myth is not only about a feeling over which time has no power, the legend also teaches others what the Hellenes tried to tell.

Orpheus and Eurydice - who is it?

Who are Orpheus and Eurydice? According to Greek legend, this is a couple in love, whose feelings were so strong that the husband ventured to go down to the Kingdom of Death for his wife and begged for the right to take the deceased back to the living. But he failed to fulfill the requirement of the god of the underworld Hades and lost his wife forever. This doomed himself to spiritual wanderings. But he did not refuse a rare gift to give joy with his music, and this conquered the lord of the dead, begging for the life of Eurydice.

Who is Orpheus?

Who is Orpheus in Ancient Greece? He was the most famous musician of his time, the personification of the mighty power of art, his gift to play the lyre conquered the world. There are 3 versions about the origin of the singer:

  1. Son of the river god Eagra and the muse Calliope.
  2. Heir of Oeager and Clio.
  3. Child of the god Apollo and Calliope.

Apollo gave the young man a lyre of gold, her music made animals tame, made plants and mountains move. An unusual gift helped Orpheus become the winner in playing the kithara in the funerary games according to Pelius. Helped the Argonauts find a fleece of gold. Among his famous deeds:

  • discovered the mysterious ceremonies of the god Dionysus;
  • built the temple of Cora Sotera in Sparta.

Who is Orpheus in mythology? Legends immortalized him as the only daredevil who, for the sake of his beloved, dared to descend into realm of the dead, and even managed to beg for her life. About death legendary singer several versions survive:

  1. He was killed by Thracian women for not allowing them to take part in the mysteries.
  2. Struck by lightning.
  3. Dionysus turned it into the constellation of the Kneeling One.

Who is Eurydice?

Eurydice is the beloved of Orpheus, a forest nymph, according to some versions, the daughter of the god Apollo. The singer, known for his gift, passionately fell in love with her, and the girl reciprocated. They got married, but happiness did not last long. About the death of a beauty in literary works Hellenes survived 2 versions:

  1. She died from a snake bite when she danced with her friends.
  2. She stepped on a viper, running away from the god Aristaeus pursuing her.

Myths of Ancient Greece - Orpheus and Eurydice

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice tells that when his beloved wife died, the singer decided to go down to underworld and ask for the return of a loved one. Having been refused, he tried to express his pain by playing the harp, and so impressed Hades and Persephone that they allowed him to take the girl. But they set a condition: do not turn around until it comes to the surface. Orpheus failed to fulfill the agreement, already at the exit he looked at his wife, and she again sank into the world of shadows. Throughout his earthly life, the singer yearned for his beloved, and after his death he reunited with her. Only then did Orpheus and Eurydice become inseparable.

What does the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice teach?

Researchers are sure that the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice has more deep meaning than just Touching story about love. The singer's mistake and Hades' decision are interpreted as:

  1. The manifestation of the eternal guilt of a person in front of his dead loved ones.
  2. A mocking joke of the gods, who knew that the singer would not fulfill the condition.
  3. The statement that between the living and the dead there is a barrier that no one can overcome.
  4. Even the power of love and art cannot overcome death.
  5. A talented person is always doomed to loneliness.

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice also has a philosophical interpretation:

  1. The singer finds a wife due to the fact that he is very close to the secrets of nature, the sky, the universe.
  2. The disappearance of Eurydice is akin to the appearance guiding star in a person's life that points the way and disappears when the goal is almost reached.
  3. Even after the death of a loved one, a feeling serves to create new masterpieces that the world needs.

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