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Orpheus
practised minstrelsy and by his songs moved stones
and trees, holding also a spell over the wild
beasts.
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Orpheus bewitches the wild
beasts (and beautiful women too)
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Orpheus
travelled to Egypt where he increased his knowledge
about the gods and their initiatory rites, bringing
from that country most of his mystic ceremonies,
and orgiastic rites.
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Orpheus in Egypt
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Orpheus is
counted among the
ARGONAUTS.
When they sailed past the
SIRENS,
Orpheus, by
chanting a counter melody restrained all of them
except Butes 1, who swam off to the
SIRENS.
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Orpheus with the ARGONAUTS
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Having descended to the
Underworld,
Orpheus accompanied his words with the music of the
lyre. He entranced
Persephone
by his songs, and persuaded her to help him in his
desire to bring back to life his dead wife. And so
even Hades
himself was persuaded to let her go.
Death and
Hermes are seen
standing beside the ruler of the
Underworld,
while Cerberus 1, the hound of
Hades, examines
Orpheus.
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Orpheus before Hades
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Hades promised
to release Eurydice 5 if
Orpheus, on his
way up, would not turn round until he came to his
own house. But
Orpheus forgot,
and when he turned round and looked at his wife,
she instantly slipped into the depths again. In
this manner
Orpheus lost
her a second time. In the illustration,
Hermes appears
separating the lovers.
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Orpheus loses his wife a second
time
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According to some,
Orpheus was
torn in pieces by the
MAENADS [but
see Orpheus for
other versions of his death].
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The
MAENADS kill Orpheus
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