Eurydice was a mortal nymph of country music. She met Orpheus and they got married, but she got bitten by a snake and got stuck in the Underworld. Orpheus used his music to charm Hades into letting him bring Eurydice back to life. But the condition was that he couldn't look back at Eurydice who was following him out of the Underworld until they exited completely. Due to his curiosity, he peeked, and Eurydice disappeared forever.
Genealogy and Family[]
According to some accounts, she is the daughter of Apollo with an unknown mother. She became the wife of Orpheus
Stories[]
Eurydice is described as an Auloniad or an Oak Dryad in the myths, who had a love marriage to Orpheus, a legendary bard, musician and prophet from Thrace, but when Hymen, the God of Marriage came to bless their marriage on their wedding day, he predicted their union wouldn't last.
Whilst she was wandering through the forest, dancing and playing with Naiads, Eurydice stepped on a viper snake which bit her- causing her to die of poison. In a more detailed account of the events, Eurydice became spotted in this forest by the shepherd god Aristaeus, who made advances towards her and after she turned him down, he tried to force himself onto her, causing Eurydice to flee, Aristaeus gave chase and Eurydice fled and along the way she stepped on a viper that ultimately bit and killed her. One version claims Aristaeus chased after the Nymph in the form of a swarm of bees.
Upon finding his love, Orpheus mourned for Eurydice and his beautiful songs became full of sorrow, which were noticed by the Gods and drew even them to tears. To help Orpheus, some Nymphs told him to venture into the underworld in order to retrieve Eurydice and bring her back into the land of the living. As Orpheus was vulnerable as a mortal in the Underworld, Hermes and Apollo cast protection over him, and as he made his way to Charon beside the River Styx on his boat, he persuaded Charon to ferry him to the Underworld with his exceptional music. Once arriving to the thrones of Hades and Persephone, he requested Hades to allow Eurydice to leave the Underworld and go back to the living world with him and used his music to plea, making even the Erinyes draw tears. In a rare instance of compassion Hades allowed Orpheus to take Eurydice back to the living world, however depending on which account, they or just Orpheus were not allowed to look back as they departed the realm of the dead. However when Orpheus was unable to hear his wife's footsteps, he looked behind him, to check on her, which bound Eurydice to the Underworld forever. Although he wanted to retrieve her again, he was not allowed to enter the Underworld again, being a living human.
Depending on the version, Orpheus would commit suicide for his failure to save Eurydice, be torn apart by beasts or go back alone to the living world where he dedicated his life to making music about his love and that of others and became a prophet who wrote the Orphic hymns and established the Orphic mysteries, before a group of jealous Maenads, killed him, because he did not make any music about them, it was after this however that Eurydice and Orpheus finally got to reunite, both being dead and in the Underworld.
Appearance[]
Eurydice changes her hair constantly, and liked to wear different chitons each day. She's very good at music.
Personality[]
Edgy and over-the-top, Eurydice likes to live it before she dies. She also loved doing duets with Orpheus and was quite famous and successful around Mount Olympus.
Relationships[]
Modern Depictions[]
Eurydice was depicted in the video game Hades (2018-present), as a deceased resident of Asphodel in The Underworld, where unlike the original myth she is kept separate from Orpheus by an official separation order issued from Hades' desk, (likely as a condition of the deal that allowed Orpheus to attempt to rescue her), leading them to no longer be a married couple. In the game it was also revealed that Eurydice did not expect Orpheus to rescue her from the Underworld after she died and has moved on from him, on the other hand, Orpheus continues to pine for her and despairs in their separation.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
Her name means 'wide justice' and is spelt Εὐρυδίκη in Greek.