Death of Eurydice

Orpheus and Eurydice, by Federigo Cervelli

The most famous story in which Orpheus figures is that of his wife Eurydice (also known
as Agriope). While fleeing from Aristaeus (son of Apollo), Eurydice ran into a nest of
snakes which bit her fatally on her heel. Distraught, Orpheus played such sad songs and
sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled
to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was
the only person ever to do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth
on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had
reached the upper world. In his anxiety he forgot that both needed to be in the upper
world, and he turned to look at her, and she vanished for the second time, but now
forever. The story in this form belongs to the time of Virgil, who first introduces the
name of Aristaeus. Other ancient writers, however, speak of Orpheus' visit to the
underworld; according to Phaedrus in Plato's Symposium (179d), the infernal gods only
"presented an apparition" of Eurydice to him. Ovid says that Eurydice's death was not
caused by fleeing from Aristaeus but by dancing with naiads on her wedding day.

The story of Eurydice may actually be a late addition to the Orpheus myths. In particular,
the name Eurudike ("she whose justice extends widely") recalls cult-titles attached to
Persephone. The myth may have been mistakenly derived from another Orpheus legend
in which he travels to Tartarus and charms the goddess Hecate.

Hades was the God of the Underworld. Having had control of all the precious minerals come
from under the earth, he was also known as the Lord of Wealth.

Persephone was the child of Goddess Demeter and God Zeus. As signs of womanly beauty began
to shine alongside her childlike innocence, the adolescent goddess Persephone unwittingly
attracted the attention of Hades. Soon, he became besotted with the beautiful girl. On a bright
sunny day, Persephone was snatched as she stooped to pluck a narcissus from a field of
wildflowers. The earth suddenly split open and Hades came out of a gap in the earth,
thundering up in his golden chariot pulled by four black horses. He grabbed the screaming girl
and carried her down to his Underworld kingdom. Persephone was shortly made Queen of the
sunless world, and was decked in jewels, crowns, silk and all the finery that the very rich king
could offer her.

While Demeter went into a frenzy searching for her daughter, all fertility on earth stopped.
The earth went barren, rain and snow fell, and winds howled. People began to starve, and life
became very unpleasant. Zeus could no longer let this go on. Thus, he sent Hermes down to
Hades to make him release Persephone and to bring the young goddess back to her mother.
Hades allowed Persephone to go even though he did not want her to. While preparing to return
to the earth with Hermes Persephone was offered seven pomegranate seeds from Hades to eat.
Persephone knew full well that anyone who had eaten while in the underworld would not be
allowed to return to earth permanently, even a Goddess. Still, she went ahead and ate the
seeds because she wanted to. Thus Persephone would always be connected to the Underworld
and would have to stay there for a third of the year. Her choice reflected that the young
goddess had perhaps grown to love Hades and might have been rather enjoying her role as
Queen of the underworld.

From then on Persephone spent a third of the year in the Underworld with Hades and
eventually she began to love him more and more. She became the Goddess of the soul and the
possessor of the dark and frightening Underworld. When others visited she was always ready to
receive them and to serve as their hostess and guide. Demeter could do nothing about it.
During this period she would begin to grieve, bringing on the cold, barren winter. But a few
months later Persephone would return to bring spring and its verdant growth in her wake. And
this was how seasons were established on earth.