Orpheus
Orpheus,the quintessential mythical singer, son of Apollo and a Muse (see Muses), whose song has more than human power. In Archaic Greece, Orpheus appears among the Argonauts whom he saves from the Sirens by overcoming their song with his own; other attestations exalt the power of his song (Ibycus, Simonides). In the 5th cent. Orpheus enlarges his field of competence: his powerful song encompasses epic poetry, healing songs, oracles, and initiatory rites.
His main myth is his tragic love for Eurydice, narrated by Virgil (Georgics 4. 453–525) and Ovid (Metamorphoses 10. 1–11. 84) but known already in some form in the 5th cent. bc. In Virgil's version Eurydice, newly wed to Orpheus, died of a snakebite, and the singer descended to Hades to bring her back. His song enchanted Hades; Eurydice was allowed to return...
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