Orpheusand Eurydice

by MichaelGibson

IF Apollo was the greatest muslcian of tJle gods, Orpheus was

supreme among the mortals. It was muslc from Orpheus's lyre
which saved all but one of the Argonauts from the temptailon of
the Slrens. As a result, hts fame had spread far and wlde over
the land of Thrace. where hls father was lrring.
Orpheus was also a poet, whose inspiratlon came from the
nlne Muses, and a singer. At court, the people would llsten
spellbound as he sang the great sagas of his countr5r, plucklngi
the strlngs of his instmment ln soft accompanlment. At ttmes
he would wander out into the countr5rside, playing as he went.
The btrds and wild beasts that roamed there would draw close
to Usten and to follow hdm. Even the trees swayed in tlme to the
tunes he played.
It was whtle he was strolllng alone through the woods that he
met the beautlful dryad Eurydice and brought her back to the
palace, to be hls wlfe.
The dryads were n5rmphs of the trees and woods. SomeUmes,
when she was tired of her busy ltfe at court, Eurydtce would
vlstt her former companions. They would slt on a grassy bank
while she told them about her strange new clt5r life, where there
were hard, paved streets lnstead of tJre soft turf of the forest,
and stone houses and temples lnstead of groves of trees. If Or-
pheus was wttJl her, the nymphs would dance and slng as he
played to them.
At other tlmes, Eurydtce used to walk by herself through tJle
woods, enJoylng the dappled llght which carne down through
the leaves above her and ltstening to the songs of the birds. She
would stoop to pick the pink and mauve cyclamen and wood
sorrel which gfrew beneath the trees and make garlands of thelr
blossoms for her hair. Somettmes she would rest on the bank of
a stream and watch butterflies dancing over the water. In the
winter months she loved the mstle of the fallen leaves under
her feet and would pause to run her hand over t-Ile rough bark
of her beloved trees.
At tlmes lt snowed in that part of Greece. When ttrJs hap-
pened, Eurydice could see clearly the tracks of rabbits, hares,
deer, and the larger beasts whlch preyed on them. Everything
 Michael Gibson Orpheus and Eurydice

about her would be white. The familiar woods looked strange yet story of how she was carried off from her home by Apollo and
somehow even more beautlful. All around was sllent: even tlle bore hls son."
btrds would stop singing. If, in the sllence, a small gust of wtnd "Gentle? Yes, my mother was gentle. But I learned from my
sent snow slithering down from the bare branches, Eurydice father, the great Apollo, to take what I want when I want it." The
would start newously. stranger paused and then added, gesturing to her: ..Come heret
One bright, warrn summer's day when the sun was shjdng, I wlll have a kiss from Orpheus's wlfel Then we will see tf he
she was watching a deer feeding in a grassy clearlng when sud- dares def' met" He strode forward, and Eurydice, terrified,
denly tts ears pricked up and tt raised lts head. For a moment lt turned and fled.
stood like this, and then like a shadow it slipped away. A tall Swlftly she ran through the trees, dodging first rlght then left.
man whom Eurydice had never seen before strode from the trees The low boughs bmshed her face as she ran and, where the
tnto the clearing. He was handsome, but there was a cntel gltnt trees grew less thlckly, brambles tore at her tunic as if to hold
in his eyes which she dtd not llke. He carried a bow and arrows her back. But his ltfe as a hunter had made Aristaeus a flne
across his back and stopped when he saw tlle girl standi:r$ there, athlete and he ran as fast as she, crashing through thickets like
"I have heard of the nymphs of the Thracian woods, but you a wounded boar. Eurydice could hear him behind her. Once she
are the flrst I have seen," he said. "Everyttr'ing that people say of stumbled and thought that she would fall, but she regalned her
thetr beauty is true if you are one of them." balance and ran on. Her volce echoed through the woods as she
Eurydice was not valn and did not like to hear such flattery crled out desperately for help, but there was no one near to
'but
from a stranger. "I thank you sir," she satd, I suggest that hear. Ttre only answer was a cruel laugh from behind her.
you go on your way, for I have no wish to be disturbed." The chase continued through mossy clearings and over half-
"You may be beautlful, but by the gods you have a sharp hidden streams of clear water where the flsh swam uncon-
tonguel" the man answered. "If you want to be rld of me, tell me cerned in the shadows under the banks. Eurydice's heart was
flrst ln which direction the deer I was stalldng has gone. You pounding, but it seemed at last that she was draw.ing away from
must have seen lt, for it came through here." her pursuer. As the ground began to rise and tJle trees became
*That
Eurydice shook her head. "No, slr," she sald. I cannot fewer, Aristaeus's footsteps grew more faint.
tell you. It was too pretty to dte." Presenfly, she scrambled upwards lnto.the sunlight over a
'A
The man frowned. nymph you may be but, by thunder, rock-strewn slope. At last the footsteps had ceased. Eurydice
even the falrest nymphs do not de$r a godl Tell me, I sayl" could not be sure that she had escaped and she contlnued up-
Stubbornly Eurydtce shook her head. "A god you may be," wards until, at the summlt of the higher ground, she threw her-
she said, "though I somehow doubt it, for lf you were you would self down exhausted on a flat-topped rock. Below her and all
not behave so mdely. Take care how you speak to me, for my around she could see the green tops ofthe trees. From here she
husband ts the kln$s son and will not take kindly to someone would be able to see Aristaeus a long way away, so she decided
who does not respect his wtfe." to rest for a while.
*The
The stranger threw back his head and laughed. wlfe of Eurydice saw no more of Arlstaeus, and after a while she
Orpheus, the poet and singerl" he exclaimed. "I have heard he dozed in the hot sun. The whole world seemed to be at peace
loves muslc more than battle. You threaten me with him? and drowsing. Suddenly another sun-lover appeared-a deadly
Clearly you do not know who I am." viper which lived on the stony ground surrounding the place
"No, sir," Eurydice said, more calmly than she felt. "I do not, where the gfrl lay. It moved slowly over the warm earth by the
and I do not wish to." flat-topped rock, its forked tongue darting in and out. As it
"Nevertheless I will tell you," said the stranger. "Perhaps it passed near her, Eurydice stirred and turned in her sleep. One
wlll humble your proud spirit a little. I am Aristeeus, the god of of her slender legs now barred the viper's path. The snake
hunters." hissed and coiled its body quickly, ralsing its head to strike. Its
'Then you should be more gentle," answered Eurydice, "for
fangs sank deep, spreading their venomr but Eurydice did not
was not your own mother the nymph Cyrene? I have heard the wake. A bee droned lazily by and was gone, and then no more

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 Michael Glbson Orpheus and Eurydice

sound was heard. The poison had done its deadly work. tt later when my master finds out what I have done." Charon
Ntght came, and sttll Eurydice had not returned to the palace' moved to one side to let Orpheus clamber lnto the boat.
At llrst Orpheus was not serlously worried, for no harm had ever On the other bank stood the guard dog Cerberus, but Or-
come to hts wtfe on her lonely wanderin$s in the woods where pheus's playing soothed even this flerce anlmal and Cerberus,
she was so much at home. But when rnfdnight carne, search par- like Charon, allowed hlm to pass.
tles were sent out to scour the surroundlng countryslde. Thetr In due course, Orpheus was brought before persephone, the
calls echoed through tlte trees as they searched. Lights fllckered queen of the Underworld. Before he spoke he once more played
here and there through the woods like phantoms' It was morn- his lyre, and the shades of the dead clustered near to hear his
tng when they at last found her. Placin$ her body on a stretcher music. Persephone's heart was touched by hts story and his
hastlly made from sapllngs bound wlth creepers, the searchers music and she agreed to let Eurydice return to earth.
carried her back to tJle palace with heavy hearts. "But on one condlilon only," she told Orpheus. "She must fol_
Orpheus was lnconsolable. Hts father trled to comfort him, low behlnd you as you go. Ifyou turn round to see her before
but lt was no use. Orpheus sat alone, playtng sad tunes on hls she reaches the upper atr, she must return here for ever."
lyre and thinking only of his lost love. So Eurydice was brought to them, and the young couple em-
But Aristaeus had been wrong about Orpheus' He was a braced while Persephone looked on with a half-smlle, aslf she
brave man, braver by far than most, and perhaps his despera- already doubted her declslon. But she dld not change her mlnd.
Uon to win back Eurydice gave him a greater courage than he The pair crossed the Styx safely and began the long climb up
would normally have had. For he decided that he would enter the passage to the surface of the earth. Orpheus never lookid
Hades ttself and fetch her back to earth from there. Everyone back, though he was greatly tempted to make sure that the foot_
tried to dissuade him. "Not even in your wildest dreams should steps he could hear behind him really were those of his beloved
*The
you consider going there" King Oeagms told his son. dead wlfe and not some tdckery of the shades. Up and up they
are the dead and the living the livbeg. You are mad to think you
climbed, until presenfly dayhght showed ahead of them.-
can change the way of the gods. Those who go to tJre Under- A few mlnutes later, Orpheus was at t.l:e mouth of the cave,
world can never return.' and the warmth of t}re sun was on hls face. A great
Nevertheless, Orpheus set out, his lyre slung from his shoul- Joy flooded
through hls whole being. What had been only a wttd dream of
der, his mind full only of Eurydtce. He Journeyed overland to happteess regalned had actually come true. He turned to take
Aornum in Thesprotis, which borders t-he Ionian Sea. He had Eurydice ln his arms. However, less strong than he, she had
heard that a narrow passageway led from here, far beneath the lagged some way behind him in the climb. He saw her dimlv
earth, to the river Stpr. The dver was the only barrier to Hades corning towards him, stlll in the shadov4r passage. But even as
itself. He found the passage and descended out of the sunlight he looked she seemed to fade away and then was gone. He
into the gloom. Water dripped from the dank cetltng and rats rushed forward but it was too late. She had returned to the
scuttled away ii:Ito the dark corners as he made hts way bravely shadowy world of the dead and was lost to him forever.
forward. At last the Styx was before him. Charon the ferryrman
sat there in his boat, waiting for his next cargo of the dead.
Orpheus knew tt would not be easy to persuade Charon to
take a living cargo but, trustlng to the magical powers of his
music, he stmck a note on his lyre. A rare smile lit the stern
face of the boatman. He leaned back tn his seat and his eyes
closed as the music enveloped hl.m, lts wonderful harmonles
echoing back from the cavernous walls. Few could.have reslsted
its appeal for long, and Charon succumbed to it completely'
"I can deny nothtng to one who can play as you can'" he said
'I
to Orpheus. will take you over the river, though I may pay for

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