Orpheus and eurydice Love at first sight

orpheus His parents were the king of Thrace and a muse name Calliope Given the gift of music from his mother; but a lyre was given to him by the God Apollo He was sailing with the Argonauts and used his lyre to drown out the songs of the sirens to protect them from crashing

eurydice Not much is known about her except that Apollo is her father She is also a nymph of the forest She is known mostly for her marrying Orpheus

Island of the sirens As soon as the Argonauts along with Orpheus reached the shore of the island, he saw Eurydice and fell instantly in love They married right away, but their joy was brief Tragedy struck soon after their wedding Hymenaios blessed the marriage There was a feast following the ceremony

Death and a trip to hades After the wedding Eurydice was in a meadow with her bridesmaids, when a viper suddenly bit her causing her to die Orpheus says “With my song, I will charm Demeter’s daughter, I will charm the Lord of the Dead, moving their hearts with melody. I will bear her away from Hades”

Quest home Hades had one condition… If Orpheus went back on his word Eurydice would be taken back down to Hades FOREVER Eurydice ended up staying in Hades, the gods would not let Orpheus re-enter

Death of orpheus Coming back to earth and feeling comfortless except for the company of his lyre, Orpheus came to a realization that he had no one His only companions were the trees and rivers He was torn limb from limb and beheaded by maenads His limbs and head were gathered by muses and they buried him in a tomb at the foot of mount Olympus

Symbolism of nightingale It represents their story It symbolizes the connection between love and death The nightingales sing better and sweeter at the foot of mount Olympus showing that the two will remain together through death