Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus and Eurydice are a musician and his wife in Greek myth, whose story links love, music, and death. In the most common version, Orpheus wins permission to lead Eurydice out of the underworld, but loses her when he looks back too soon.
Key stories of Orpheus and Eurydice
Eurydice’s death
Eurydice dies after a snake bites her. Grieving, Orpheus decides to seek her among the dead.
In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Eurydice is bitten on the ankle while walking with other young women shortly after her wedding.
In Metamorphoses by Ovid
Music in the underworld
Orpheus sings before the rulers of the dead and moves them to pity. They allow Eurydice to follow him, provided he does not look back before they reach the upper world.
In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Orpheus’s song makes the dead weep and briefly halts their punishments.
In Metamorphoses by Ovid
The backward glance
Near the end of the journey, Orpheus turns to see whether Eurydice is following. She is drawn back among the dead, beyond his reach.
In Virgil’s Georgics, Orpheus looks back when escape is close, breaking the condition imposed by the underworld’s queen.
In The Georgics by Virgil
How to recognise Orpheus and Eurydice in stories
- Look for a singer or lyre-player whose music moves nature and the dead.
- Notice a journey into the underworld to recover a lost loved one.
- Watch for a forbidden backward glance that destroys a promised return.
Free for 3 months
200,000+ classics. Every format, free to start.
eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost, large print too.
Why does Orpheus look back?
Orpheus looks back because love and anxiety overcome his obedience. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, he fears Eurydice may be failing behind him and longs to see her. The glance meant to reassure him becomes the act that separates them.
Do Orpheus and Eurydice ever reunite?
In Ovid’s version, they reunite after Orpheus dies. In Metamorphoses, his spirit finds Eurydice in the underworld, and they walk together again. He can finally look back at her without fear, giving their story a gentler ending after its central loss.
Related terms
Books where you can see Orpheus and Eurydice
Free for 3 months
200,000+ classics. Every format, free to start.
eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost, large print too.
200,000+ classics to read and hear, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
