Orpheus in the Underworld

by Ovid, Mary M. Innes (Translator)

Soon after his marriage to Eurydice, Orpheus loses his bride to a serpent's bite. The tale of Orpheus' search for her through the underworld is one of the most beloved episodes from Ovid's masterpiece, The Metamorphoses. It's a classic myth of love beyond death, translated by Mary M. Innes.

Genres: Classics, Poetry, Mythology, Fiction, Greek Mythology, Fantasy, Ancient History

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 8

About the author

Publius Ovidius Naso (20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horatius, with whom he is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature. The Imperial scholar Quintilian considered him the last of the Latin love elegists. Although Ovid enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime, the emperor Augustus exiled him to Tomis, the capital of the newly-organised province of Moesia, on the Black Sea, where he remained for the last nine or ten years of his life. Ovid himself attributed his banishment to a "poem and a mistake", but his reluctance to disclose specifics has resulted in much speculation among scholars.
Ovid is most famous for the Metamorphoses, a continuous mythological narrative in fifteen books written in dactylic hexameters. He is also known for works in elegiac couplets such as Ars Amatoria ("The Art of Love") and Fasti. His poetry was much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and greatly influenced Western art and literature. The Metamorphoses remains one of the most important sources of classical mythology today.

Reviews

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short section from Metamorphoses. Orpheus’s story is only a small part of this little book as each tale of metamorphosis flows into the next.

[☽•☾-Grimalkin-☽•☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a laughably basic knowledge of Greek myth and tragedy but I was pleasantly surprised to come across 1 or 2 tales that I knew. Beautifully told, tragic and sad but enjoyable none the less. I look forward to reading more of Ovid's works.
Began this book in 2018 and 5 pages from the end, ended it in 2019, a good book to end 1 year and begin another.

3/5

[emnello · Rating 4 out of 5]

[re-read 05.04.2025] “Eurydice, dying now a second time, uttered no complaint against her husband. What was there to complain of, but that she had been loved?”

Short section of Metamorphoses but I will admit to being partial to this translation over the David Raeburn one I read for the full poem. Taking such a short segment however loses some of the oomph, as it were - really need to read the full version by Mary M. Innes!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic story - beautiful and sad.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off very interesting but petered out in the end as it went into too many random Greek myths. The book has a very short section on Orpheus’ journey through hell which was a bit surprising but then goes on to talk about some of the other Greek myths. I learnt one of the places where the festive word Myrrh comes from also. That was a fascinating story about a girl that loved her father and has a child by him and gets turned into a weeping tree – which is one of the gifts that the three wise men bring to gold, frankincense and MYRRH. Myrrha’s father was the grandson of Pygmalion (who was so in love with his statue that he made that the Gods turned the statue into a real women. Fascinating stuff overall but a very small section on Orpheus himself. Also talks a bit about Midas the king who's touch turned everything into Gold.

[bela]

El texto de Ovidio es mi narración favorita del mito, me gusta como está escrito y la interrelación con la mitología griega. Creo que también es de las más detalladas y permite tener una conversación sobre las motivaciones de Orfeo.

Hay muchas inferencias sobre por qué realmente decidió Orfeo bajar al inframundo, para mí, este mito se trata sobre una muestra de amor genuino, y la realidad de tener que aceptar la muerte. Entiendo que se pueda interpretar arrogante a Orfeo por intentar cambiar el curso de algo tan inevitable como la muerte (que debe ser respetado), pero yo no culparía a alguien por tomar la oportunidad e intentar salvar a alguien que ama.

En este texto sobre todo, cuando Orfeo canta para Hades y Perséfone, menciona primero que la razón por la desea que su esposa vuelva es porque no llegó a la plenitud a la que pudo alcanzar su vida, referenciando su juventud y que murió estando recién casada (cuando se supone que iniciaba un nuevo tipo de vida). Por último, pide que si no es posible regresar a Eurídice, es él el que desea quedarse en el mundo de los muertos con ella.

Una de las diferencias que más me llamaron la atención en los dos textos que leí, fue que en la de Graves, Orfeo voltea cuando ya ha vuelto del inframundo y los rayos del sol caen sobre él; vive un segundo de felicidad creyendo que lo ha conseguido y su entusiasmo y amor lo hacen voltear demasiado pronto, mientras que en el texto de Ovidio, Orfeo voltea porque teme por la seguridad de Eurídice y ansía verla. Y si bien fueron diferentes formas del suceso y es expuesto con emociones opuestas, felicidad/entusiasmo y miedo/ansiedad, ambas situaciones tienen de fundamento el amor que Orfeo siente por Eurídice, por lo que me gustaron.

Mis partes favoritas de este texto fueron las referencias a otros mitos, sobre todo cuando las almas condenadas a repetir tareas una y otra vez por el resto de la eternidad detienen sus funciones; la conmoción que causa la canción de Orfeo es tan fuerte que los castigados van en contra de la norma divina, no para descansar, sino para llorar la situación de la pareja. Me gustó buscar y poder leer más sobre Ixión, Tántalo, las Danaides, Ticio, Sísifo y las Erinias.

[Harry Kilcullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Cunt

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[s.alnuaimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

في هذه الأسطورة تموت ( يوريديس ) ، حين كانت تجمع الورود لزوجها الحبيب ( أورفيوس ) صاحب القيثارة ، ويأخذها ( شارون ) إلى مملكة الموتى كالمعتاد ، وفى اليوم التالي يجد ( شارون ) ( أورفيوس ) ينتظره عند ضفة نهر ( ستيكس ) ، ويطلب منه أخذه إلى ( هيدز ) مملكة الموتى .

ويرفض ( شارون ) " Sharon " حارس مملكة الموتى بالطبع لأن ( أورفيوس ) لم يمت بعد ، فيلح ( أورفيوس ) إلحاحاً شديداً ، ويوافق ( شارون ) ولكنه يمر به أولاً على عدة أنهار مرعبة عله يموت فيأخذه بصفة رسمية وقانونية إلى ( هيدز ) ، فيمر به نهر العدم ( أشيرون ) ونهر النسيان ( ليث ) ، ونهر الآلام ( كوكيتوس ) ، ونهر اللهب ( فيلجتون ) ، ولكن
( أورفيوس ) يظل حياً كالعنقاء ، ويأبى أن يموت ، فلا يجد
( شارون ) مفراً من أن يعبر به نهر ( ستيكس ) ، ويدخله إلى ( هيدز ) .

وهناك يقابل ( أورفيوس ) ( هاديس ) " Pluto " رب مملكة الموتى ، ويلح عليه أن يعيد معه ( يوريديس ) ، ويغريه بالأشعار التي سيتغنى بها على قيثارته ، ويشيد فيها برحمته وعطفه ورقته ، وبعد طول إلحاح يوافق ( هاديس ) على شرط ، ألا ينظر ( أورفيوس ) إلى زوجته ( يوريديس ) حتى يعبر بها نهر ( ستيكس ) ، وإذا نظر إليها قبل هذا ، انتهت فرصته في العودة بها إلى عالم الأحياء .

وبالطبع يوافق ( أورفيوس ) على هذا الشرط ، ويأمر ( هاديس ) فتأتى ( يوريديس ) ، ودون أن ينظر إليها يسير ( أورفيوس ) إلى القارب وخلفه ( يوريديس ) ، وبدأ القارب في العبور من ضفة الموت إلى ضفة الحياة ، وتلوح في السماء بارقة أمل في أن يستطيع إنسان العودة من مملكة الموتى ، ولكن عدم صبر ( أورفيوس ) جعله يلتفت خلفه كي يتأكد من وجود ( يوريديس ) ، وعلى الفور وجد نفسه على ضفة الحياة ، في حين عادت ( يوريديس ) إلى ضفة الموت ، ويفصل بينهما نهر ( ستيكس ) العظيم ، وفى اليوم التالي تصيب المفاجأة ( يوريديس ) حين ترى زوجها بين الأموات ، ثم تعلم أنه مات حزناً عليها حين لم تعد معه ... وتنتهي الأسطورة .
توضح الأسطورة أن أحداً لا يستطيع العودة من الموت ، حتى في زمن آلهة الأوليمب .

[kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Eurydice, dying now a second time, uttered no complaint against her husband. What was there to complain of, but that she had been loved?”

i will think about this myth and end up in tears and in extreme anguish every time. thank you

[mabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orpheus in the Underworld – Ovid
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Ovid’s retelling of Orpheus’s journey into the Underworld is as haunting as it is beautiful. His poetic brilliance captures the desperation, love, and sorrow that define Orpheus’s tragic fate. The vivid imagery of the Underworld, the way even Hades and Persephone are moved by Orpheus’s song, and the devastating moment of loss make this one of the most powerful myths ever told.

Ovid doesn’t just recount a legend—he breathes life into it, making the emotions feel immediate and raw. A timeless masterpiece that lingers long after the final lines.

[Calalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

complicado poner rating a un mito, creencias de carácter religioso y de tradición. Ovidio hace un pequeño recuento de los hechos de este que difieren de otras versiones igual de validas. Lo importante del mito es que es eso, trascienden hacia la imaginación colectiva de la humanidad y con razones de sobra porque representan actitudes, sentires y costumbres sociales y cotidianas de una cultura.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to get a better sense of Orpheus, since he is alluded to in literature so often, it seems. Alas, there were only a very few pages about him, the rest being perhaps stories he told or sang. Not uninteresting, just not what I was looking for.

[Maan Kawas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enchanting little book!! I loved it very much! It includes some very interesting myths and written in an engaging way.

[Madame Onyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbed Greek myth
by a peculiar Greek dude.
The inventor of the "I-sacrifice-my-life-for-love" trope.

I liked it.

Peace \/

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orpheus and Eurydice, by Ovid
“As he spoke and touched the strings of his lyre, the bloodless spirits wept.” Greek tale. ***

[Duda Rotta · Rating 4 out of 5]

late spring

[Abby Charak · Rating 5 out of 5]

god i love this myth.

[Fifi Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

If ur wife dies just turn into a bird frfr

[Luis Dª Acosta Alzamora]

"Sólo pide para ella la vida; pero si se la niegan, él no querrá volver con los vivos, y gozarán también con su muerte"

[Yente Austerlitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

"tenditis huc omnes; haec est domus ultima."

[Sarah Morgan Sandquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ovid retells several classic Greek myths, placing them in a Roman framework and returning to two main themes: transformation and love, particularly tragic love. This aspect of the piece is solid. it's really interesting to learn how Romans fit their relatively new civilization as well as their definitely new adoption of Cybele, the Anatolian Mother Goddess into what was to them a classic and undisputed worldview.

However, there was a lot not to like about this slim volume, and it could be argued that the good did not outweigh the bad. The stories (and there are actually very many) are similar in structure to Arabian Nights. The tale of Orpheus is more like a framing device. Within it, Orpheus and other characters constantly begin stories, which may also feature characters telling stories before their completion. The thread of narration is sometimes a bit thin and hard to follow. Additionally, as I mentioned in my update, Ovid clearly doesn't care for women much and it detracts from the attempted romantic interludes. (Although it is interesting because I recently read SPQR, which briefly discussed Ovid, who was banished from Rome for having an affair with Emperor Augustus's daughter, which was, itself a pretty popular pastime for the men of Rome - all of which could explain his distaste in this piece.)

This piece is just a portion of Ovid's Metamorphoses, however so I may feel differently when I read the entire work.

[Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

It´s the Ovid-one of the most imaginative collections of tales in the world. Now in a pocket-sized form. This extract from the much larger Ovid tells Orpheus´s tale, Myrrah´s tale of paternal affection, Mida´s tale of greed, Adonis, and more...now to start Hughes´s Tales from Ovid.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just a smidgen of Ovids Metamorphoses.