Orpheus — Greek mythology

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a gifted musician named Orpheus. Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope (one of the muses.) With such talented parents, it was no wonder that Orpheus was a gifted musician. The truth was, Orpheus was more than gifted. His music was magical. When he played the lyre, as his father had taught him, his songs could cast spells and soothe savage beasts.
Orpheus loved his wife, a mortal, Eurydice. When she died, he traveled down into the Underworld. He begged his great uncle Hades to allow his wife to come back to earth as herself, and not reborn as someone else.
Ever a soft touch, Hades agreed. Hades had one condition. Hades agreed to let Eurydice follow her husband back to earth and life. But, during the trip, Orpheus had to promise not to look back until both he and his wife were safely back on earth.
Orpheus was worried. He was afraid that perhaps his wife might need his help - it was a very scary trip back to the surface. He worried that perhaps Hades would not send her after all. To reassure himself that all was fine, he risked a quick look behind him, and lost his wife forever.

Orpheus was a musician, poet and prophet in Greek mythology. His parents were the king of Thrace Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope. As he grew older, it became apparent that Orpheus was extremely gifted musically. He could play any instrument perfectly and his singing voice was so beautiful that it could charm animals, trees and even rocks.
When he was grown, Orpheus journeyed to Olympus to meet Apollo, god of music. Apollo was so impressed with Orpheus that he gave him the lyre and taught him how to play. With his new instrument in hand, Orpheus returned to Thrace where he quickly became famous for his music. Everyone who heard him play or sing fell instantly in love with him, including Eurydice.

Orpheus and Euridice
Orpheus and Eurydice got married and were living a happy life until something tragic happened. Eurydice was having a stroll, when a satyr tried to rape her. She tried to avoid him, but she fell into a nest of vipers and she was fatally bitten. Orpheus found his wife's body and due to his grief, started singing the most mournful songs. The nymphs and the gods started weeping upon hearing Orpheus' songs, and advised him to go to the Underworld and bring his wife back.

The Lyre of Orpheus
Orpheus was said to have invented the lyre, which was a stringed instrument that was played with a plectrum. The myth goes that Hermes, the messenger god, found a tortoise shell while he was out wandering and decided to make it into a musical instrument. He gave it to Apollo, who then taught Orpheus how to play it. Orpheus quickly became renowned for his musical abilities, and he used his lyre to charm animals and rocks alike.

Orpheus and the Argonauts
Another famous story about Orpheus is his involvement with the Argonauts. The Argonauts were a band of heroes who sailed on a ship called the Argo in order to retrieve the Golden Fleece. On their journey, they encountered many challenges, including having to pass through the Symplegades—a pair of rocks that would crash together whenever anything tried to sail between them. According to legend, Orpheus played his lyre so beautifully that the rocks stopped crashing together long enough for the Argonauts to sail through safely.

Orpheus' Death
Orpheus, during the end of his life, worshipped no gods except the sun, whom he called Apollo. One day, he went to pay tribute to the sun near the oracle of Dionysus. However, he was caught by the Maenads and killed for being an infidel to the god Dionysus. Although Orpheus died a tragic death, his legacy as a musician and poet has lived on through the ages.

Orpheus and Eurydice  Ancient Greek myth