Orpheus is the singer whose music moves animals, trees, stones, and the powers of the underworld. His attempt to recover his wife is known from several ancient authors. The familiar name Eurydice appears in later literary accounts, while some earlier sources call her Agriope.
The descent
After his wife dies from a snakebite, Orpheus enters the world of the dead and sings before Hades and Persephone. They agree to release her under a condition: he must not look back at her until they have completed the journey. He turns too soon and loses her a second time.
Ancient variations
Virgil and Ovid give influential versions, but the precise reason for the backward glance and the couple’s final fate vary. Some ancient references even suggest a successful recovery or criticize Orpheus for lacking the courage to die. The tale was never preserved as one fixed script.
Orpheus and Orphism
Greeks also associated the name Orpheus with poems, rites, and teachings about divine origins and the soul. Scholars use Orphism as a convenient label for related evidence, not a clearly organized church founded by a documented historical Orpheus. The musician of myth and the authorship attached to ritual texts should be distinguished.