Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 25

Eurydice - Wife of Orpheus, Wife of Creon, Wife of Acrisius, Wife of Nestor, Wife of Ilus

In Greek mythology, a dryad, the wife of Orpheus. After her death, Orpheus went down to the Underworld and persuaded Hades to let her go by the power of his music. The condition was that she should follow him, and that he should not look at her until they reached the light. Not hearing her footsteps, he looked back, and she disappeared.

In Greek mythology, there were several characters named Eurydice (Eurydíkê, Ευρυδικη).

Wife of Orpheus

The most famous was a woman — or a nymph — who was the wife of Orpheus. Distraught, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept and gave him advice. Orpheus accomplished something no other person ever has: he traveled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone, and even made the Furies weep.

Connections with other mythologies

The story of Eurydice and Orpheus has strong similarities with the Japanese myth of Izanami and Izanagi and the Mayan myth of Ix Chel and Itzamna.

Drama

Eurydice (also Erudice or Euridice) is an opera written in Florence by Jacopo Peri and Ottavio Rinuccini in 1600. (The first, Dafne, was written by the same authors in 1597.)

For many of the other stage and screen reinterpretations of the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, see the article on Orpheus. Eurydice is also a play which retells the myth of Orpheus from Eurydice's point of view.

Wife of Creon

Another woman in Greek mythology named Eurydice was the wife of Creon, a king of Thebes.

Wife of Acrisius

One Eurydice was wife to Acrisius, king of Argos, mother of Danae and therefore grandmother to Perseus. Generally, she is confused with Orpheus's Eurydice.

Wife of Nestor

The wife of Nestor was also named Eurydice.

Wife of Ilus

Eurydice (daughter of Adrastus) was married to Ilus, the father of Laomedon.,

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