Orpheus and Eurydice: Analysis of Setting
"Orpheus and Eurydice" is a poignant tale rooted in ancient Greek mythology, exploring themes of love, loss, and the power of music. The narrative begins in Thrace, the legendary birthplace of Orpheus, where the region was known for its exceptional musical talent. The journey of Orpheus takes him to Ismarus, a village inhabited by the fierce Cicones, showcasing the interplay between human conflict and the beauty of Orpheus's artistry. His descent into Hades, the underworld, serves as a testament to his poetic gifts, as he captivates both the tormented souls and the rulers, King Hades and Queen Persephone, with his melodies.
The story also features significant locations like Acherusia, a grim lake representing the gateway to the underworld, and Pieria, the mythical home of the Muses, where Orpheus's legacy is honored. Ultimately, the tale concludes in Libethra, at the foot of Mount Olympus, where the enchanting song of nightingales over Orpheus’s grave symbolizes the enduring impact of his music. This myth emphasizes the transformative qualities of art and memory, illustrating how love and creativity can transcend even the boundaries of life and death.
Orpheus and Eurydice: Analysis of Setting
First published: Unknown
Type of work: Short fiction
Type of plot: Mythic
Time of work: Antiquity
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
*Thrace
*Thrace (thrays). Supposed birthplace of Orpheus, now a region of eastern Greece bordering Turkey, where the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice begins. In ancient times, Thrace’s peoples were renowned as being among the most musically accomplished in the Greek world.
Ismarus
Ismarus (is-mahr-as). Village on the southern coast of Thrace and home of the Cicones, a savage Thracian tribe whose women are believed to have attacked Orpheus and dismembered him. At Zone, near this village, mountain oaks grow in an unusual formation after dancing to Orpheus’s music—an example of how the story explains unusual geographic features found at Zone.
Hades
Hades (hay-deez). Underworld realm of the dead ruled by Queen Persephone and King Hades. Orpheus’s journey to Hades dramatizes his immense talent as a poet, as he soothes the tortures of the damned, the terrible, and the dead. His songs even mollify the king and queen of the underworld. In some versions of this story, after Orpheus returns from the underworld, he shares with his followers his newfound knowledge of the dead, and of the salve that poetry and song can bring to the deep wounds memory or “looking back” can cause. Eventually, Orpheus joins Eurydice in the underworld; happy at last, they wander through the fields together.
Acherusia
Acherusia (ak-ah-REW-see-ah). Lake on the border of ancient Pontus, a strip of land along the southern edge of the Black Sea in Asia Minor that was supposed to have been surrounded by hot, steaming mud. Orpheus is said to have traveled to this appropriately ugly and uninviting place in order to enter the underworld.
*Pieria
*Pieria (pee-er-ee-ah). Mythical home of the Muses, located near the village of Vergina in northern Greece. As the home of the goddesses of the arts, including poetry and music, Pieria is an appropriate place to bury the body of Orpheus.
Libethra
Libethra (li-beh-thra). Ancient city at the foot of Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, where the fragments of Orpheus’s body were buried. It is said that nightingales sang more sweetly over his grave than in any other part of Greece.
Bibliography
Anouilh, Jean. Eurydice and Medée. Edited by E. Freeman. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1984. A modern analysis of the Orpheus/Eurydice story and the story of Medea as dramatized by modern writers. Compares the two women as opposites, while exploring the loss of love as it relates to one’s view of the world.
Cotterell, Arthur. The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends. New York: Macmillan, 1989. Associates Orpheus with the doctrines of Orphism, a mystery cult derived from Orpheus’ poetry to his lost love, Eurydice.
Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths. New York: Penguin Books, 1960. Retells the story of Orpheus, father of music, and his beloved Eurydice, who dies and is held in the Underworld. Orpheus is seen both as a hero and as one who spreads the culture of music throughout the world.
Guthrie, W. K. C. Orpheus and Greek Religion: A Study of the Orphic Movement. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1993. Analyzes Orpheus and Dionysus as the catalysts for the Orphic religion. Places emphasis on the mysteries of the cult and their attraction for women.
Warden, John, ed. Orpheus: The Metamorphoses of a Myth. Buffalo, N.Y.: University of Toronto Press, 1982. An in-depth analysis of the uses to which ancient Greek, Roman, and more recent Western European poets, playwrights, musicians, and composers have put the Orpheus legend. Includes a look at the songs of Orpheus compared to the songs of Christ. Since Orpheus, like Christ, was killed as a sacrifice, the mythic implications of the two stories are of major significance.