# Greek Myths: Orpheus and Eurydice > Orpheus rescues his wife from the Underworld but loses her forever by looking back. Canonical URL: https://aristotree.com/mythos/greek-myths-orpheus-and-eurydice Language: en Creator: mythos Last modified: 2026-10-22T19:30:58.021Z Concepts: 37 Relationships: 44 This is a public, user-curated knowledge graph. Follow the cited sources when verifying claims. ## Concepts ### Greek underworld **In Greek** mythology, the underworld or Hades is a distinct realm where an individual goes after death. Topics: instance of: underworld, instance of: mythical location, part of: Greek mythology, has part(s): Hades, has part(s): Elysium Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_underworld ### Dryad A **dryad** is an oak tree nymph or oak tree spirit in Greek mythology; Drys (δρῦς) means "tree", and more specifically "oak" in Greek. Topics: instance of: group of Greek mythical characters, subclass of: Epigean, subclass of: tree spirit Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryad ### Daphne (opera) **Daphne**, Op. Topics: instance of: dramatico-musical work Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_(opera) ### Cupid and Psyche **Cupid and Psyche** is a story originally from Metamorphoses, written in the 2nd century AD by Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis. Topics: instance of: literary work, part of: The Golden Ass Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_and_Psyche ### Argonauts The **Argonauts** were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Topics: instance of: group of Greek mythical characters, subclass of: mythological Greek character, subclass of: fictional object, part of: Greek mythology, named after: Argo Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonauts ### Augustus **Augustus**, also known as Octavian, was the founder of the Roman Empire and the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. Topics: instance of: human, occupation: politician, occupation: military personnel Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus ### Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, **Dionysus** is the god of wine-making, orchards, fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. Topics: instance of: nature deity, instance of: Greek deity, part of: Twelve Olympians Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus ### Divine Comedy The **Divine Comedy** is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun c. Topics: instance of: literary work, genre: epic poem, has part(s): Inferno, has part(s): Purgatorio Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy ### Heracles **Heracles**, born Alcaeus (Ἀλκαῖος) or Alcides (Ἀλκείδης), is one of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology. Topics: instance of: demigod of Greek mythology, occupation: mythical character, cause of death: poisoning Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles ### Maenad **In Greek** mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of his retinue, the thiasus. Topics: instance of: group of Greek mythical characters, subclass of: escort, subclass of: mythological Greek character, occupation: priestess, has part(s): Lamia Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maenad ### Odyssey The **Odyssey** is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. Topics: instance of: literary work, genre: epic poem, genre: adventure fiction, part of: Homeric epics, has part(s): Book I, has part(s): Book II Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey ### Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso, known in English as **Ovid**, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. Topics: instance of: human, occupation: poet, occupation: writer, genre: tragedy, genre: elegy Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovid ### Orphism **Orphism** is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices originating in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic world, associated with literature ascribed to the mythical poet Orpheus, who descended (katabasis) into the Greek underworld and returned. Topics: instance of: Greco-Roman mysteries, instance of: school of thought Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphism ### Thrace **Thrace** is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Topics: instance of: historical region, instance of: ancient civilization, part of: Balkans, part of: Mediterranean Basin, country: Bulgaria, country: Greece Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrace ### Tiresias In Greek mythology, **Tiresias** was a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. Topics: instance of: mythological Greek character, occupation: seer Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiresias ### Underworld The **underworld**, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Topics: instance of: religious concept, subclass of: realm of the dead, subclass of: mythical location Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underworld ### Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called **Virgil** or Vergil in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. Topics: instance of: human, occupation: poet, occupation: writer, genre: epic poem, genre: pastoral poetry Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil ### Snakebite A **snakebite** is an injury caused by the bite of a snake. Topics: instance of: type of disease, subclass of: animal bite, subclass of: rare intoxication Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite ### Aeneid The **Aeneid** is a Latin epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. Topics: instance of: literary work, genre: epic literature, genre: epic poem, has part(s): Book I, has part(s): Book II, country of origin: Ancient Rome Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneid ### Persephone In ancient Greek religion and mythology, **Persephone** is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Topics: instance of: Greek deity Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persephone ### Georgics The **Georgics** is a poem by Latin poet Virgil, likely published in 29 BCE. Topics: instance of: literary work, genre: didactic poetry, has part(s): Georgica 1, has part(s): Georgica 2, country of origin: Roman Empire Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgics ### Calliope In Greek mythology, **Calliope** is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry, so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Topics: instance of: mythological Greek character, part of: Muse Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope ### Eurydice Eurydice is an oak nymph or dryad who becomes the wife of Orpheus and the catalyst for his journey to the Underworld. Topics: mythology, nymph Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurydice ### Constanța **Constanța** is a city in the Northern Dobruja historical region of Romania. Topics: instance of: municipality of Romania, instance of: county seat in Romania, country: Romania, country: Ottoman Empire, named after: Flavia Julia Constantia Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constan%C8%9Ba ### Pythagoras **Pythagoras** of Samos was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher, polymath, and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. Topics: instance of: human, occupation: mathematician, occupation: philosopher Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras ### Pygmalion (1938 film) Pygmalion is a **1938** British film based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play, and adapted by him for the screen. Topics: instance of: film, genre: romantic comedy, genre: drama film, country of origin: United Kingdom Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_(1938_film) ### Eleusinian Mysteries The **Eleusinian Mysteries** were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at the Panhellenic Sanctuary of Eleusis in ancient Greece. Topics: instance of: Greco-Roman mysteries, instance of: religious holiday Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleusinian_Mysteries ### Icarus In Greek mythology, **Icarus** was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete, and his wife Naucrate. Topics: instance of: mythological Greek character Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus ### Metamorphoses Ovid's Metamorphoses is a Latin narrative poem that provides one of the most influential and detailed accounts of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. Topics: literature, poetry Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphoses ### Katabasis Catabasis is the literary and mythological trope of a hero's descent into the Underworld. Topics: literary_device, mythology Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katabasis ### The World's Wife **The World's Wife** is a collection of poetry by Carol Ann Duffy, originally published in the UK in 1999 by both Picador and Anvil Press Poetry and later published in the United States by Faber and Faber in 2000. Topics: instance of: literary work Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World's_Wife ### Orpheus Orpheus is a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in Greek mythology known for his ability to charm all living things with his lyre. Topics: mythology, musician, hero Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus ### Cerberus The **multi-headed hound** that guards the gates of the Underworld. Topics: mythology, monster ### Charon The **ferryman** who transports the souls of the deceased across the rivers of the Underworld. Topics: mythology, ferryman ### Hades (realm) The Underworld, or Hades, is the realm of the dead in Greek mythology where Orpheus travels to retrieve Eurydice. Topics: mythology, place ### Aristaeus Aristaeus is a minor rustic god who pursues Eurydice, leading indirectly to her death by snakebite. Topics: mythology, god Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristaeus ### Lyre The lyre is a stringed musical instrument associated with Orpheus, symbolizing the transformative power of art. Topics: instrument, symbol Sources: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyre ## Relationships - Eurydice — related_to → Dryad: mythological classification of Eurydice - Eurydice — related_to → Georgics: earliest major literary source for the myth - Eurydice — related_to → Ovid: primary literary source for the myth - Eurydice — related_to → Snakebite: cause of death in the myth - Eurydice — related_to → Greek underworld: the location of her captivity - Metamorphoses — related_to → Constanța: Location of Ovid's exile - Metamorphoses — related_to → Icarus: Mythological figure used to explore human hubris - Metamorphoses — related_to → Aeneid: Contemporary Roman epic counterpart - Metamorphoses — related_to → Pygmalion (1938 film): Example of artistic creation and transformation - Metamorphoses — related_to → Daphne (opera): Representative narrative of transformation - Metamorphoses — related_to → Pythagoras: Philosophical influence on the poem's final book - Metamorphoses — related_to → Augustus: Political context of the poem's composition - Metamorphoses — related_to → Eurydice: Subject of a central tragic narrative - Katabasis — related_to → Cupid and Psyche: undergoes a katabasis as part of her trials for Aphrodite - Katabasis — related_to → Tiresias: acts as the prophetic guide encountered during a katabasis - Katabasis — related_to → Heracles: demonstrates the heroic katabasis through the capture of Cerberus - Katabasis — related_to → Persephone: serves as the archetypal figure of the seasonal katabasis - Katabasis — related_to → Eleusinian Mysteries: provided the ritual context for the concept of katabasis - Katabasis — related_to → Divine Comedy: reimagines the classical katabasis within a Christian theological frame... - Katabasis — related_to → Odyssey: contains one of the earliest literary accounts of katabasis - Katabasis — related_to → Aeneid: exemplifies the katabasis motif in Roman epic poetry - Katabasis — related_to → Greek underworld: the destination of the katabasis journey - Katabasis — related_to → Aristaeus: the indirect cause of the katabasis - Katabasis — related_to → Metamorphoses: contains the primary literary source for the Orpheus katabasis - Katabasis — related_to → Eurydice: the object of the most iconic katabasis mission - Orpheus — related_to → Thrace: mythological homeland of the bard - Orpheus — related_to → Virgil: author of the definitive account in - Orpheus — related_to → Dionysus: deity whose cult Orpheus allegedly neglected - Orpheus — related_to → Argonauts: participated in the expedition of - Orpheus — related_to → Calliope: mother of the legendary bard - Orpheus — related_to → Maenad: responsible for the death of - Orpheus — related_to → Orphism: founded by the legendary figure - Orpheus — related_to → Underworld: destination of the musician's journey - Orpheus — related_to → The World's Wife: beloved wife whose death triggered the katabasis - Orpheus — related_to → Aristaeus: pursuer of Eurydice - Lyre — related_to → Katabasis: The lyre as a symbolic instrument in katabasis myths - Lyre — related_to → Aristaeus: Mythological association with Apollo - Lyre — related_to → Eurydice: Instrument used in the myth of Eurydice - Metamorphoses — related_to → Orpheus: Literary depiction - Orpheus — example_of → Katabasis: Archetypal descent - Aristaeus — causes → Eurydice: Cause of death - Orpheus — related_to → Lyre: Instrument of the hero - Orpheus — has_participant → Hades (realm): Descent into the Underworld - Orpheus — related_to → Eurydice: Spousal relationship