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Orpheus
A famous bard, poet, and husband of Eurydice. He loses his wife twice but rejoins her in the underworld.
Eurydice
Wife of Orpheus who died to a snake bite on her ankle
Hymenaeus
God of weddings who came to Orpheus' wedding, bringing bad omens, and foreshadowing Eurydice's death
Persephone/Proserpina
Queen of the Underworld, who had been kidnapped by Pluto/Hades, king of the underworld, from the Overworld, daughter of Ceres
Pluto/Hades
King of the underworld; husband of Proserpina
Amor/Cupid
God of love, shot Pluto/Hades with a love arrow, causing him to abduct Persephone/Proserpina
Venus
Mother of Cupid
The Three Fates (Parcae)
control the thread of life and human fate, deciding when they die (Nona/Decima/Morta)
Beliades
50 female descendants of Belus, forced to marry 50 princes, 49 killed husbands, forced to fill jugs fully which has holes
Sisyphus
A king who murdered many and chained Thanatos (God of death) to a stone, forced to roll a stone uphill for all of eternity
Tantalus
stole food of the gods, murdered his son Pelops, and put Pelops's flesh in the king's food, forced to feel eternal hunger
Ixion
murdered father-in-law, given chance of redemption in Olympus, lusted over Juno, tied to spinning flaming wheel for all of eternity
Tityus
a titan who tried to assault Leto, killed by Diana/Apollo, staked to the ground with birds pecking his liver for all of eternity
Furies (Eumenides)
group of 3 snake-headed, sharp-winged monsters who are invoked by all to exact revenge on those who have wronged them
Charon
Ferryman of the underworld at the river Styx
Ceres
Goddess of agriculture and harvest
Maenads (Bacchantes)
female followers of Dionysus (God of wine) who killed Orpheus while drunk
Taenarian Door
Portal to the Underworld
Fields of Asphodel
souls residing from not being buried or awaiting trial
Hades' Palace
where Hades and Persephone reside
Fields of Punishment (Tartarus)
souls who have been punished for their wrongdoings
Exit to Mortal World
Avernian Valley
Field of Elysium
where those who have been buried and have done no wrongdoings reside
Honorable Mention - Hyperbaton
paints a word picture / emphasizes a point / enhances the interpretation of a clause with no particular word order
adfuit ille deus quidem, sed nec sollemnia verba nec laetōs vultūs nec fēlix ōmen attulit. Orpheus vīdit deum facem, quae stridula lacrimosō fumō, tenēre. 'lux sit!', Hymenaeus clamāvit, sed mōtibus nullōs ignēs invēnit. deus autem nōn scīvit talem calamitātem factūram esse. utinam Orphues scīret! interim nova nupta per herbās, comitāta turbā Naiadum, vagāta est. subitō illa occidit, dente serpentis in tālum receptō. nunc iter ad Orcum coepiat... (lines 1-10)
The god was certainly present, but he did not bring sacred words, happy faces, nor a happy omen. Orpheus saw the gold hold a torch which was hissing with tear-inducing smoke. 'Let there be light!', Hymenaeus shouted, but he found no flames with motion. The god did not even know that such a disaster will occur. If only Orpheus knew! Meanwhile the new bride was walking through grasses, accompanied by a band of water nymphs. Suddenly she died by taking in the tooth of a serpent into her ankle. Now the journey to the Underworld may begin...
ubi satis ad superās postquam Orpheus aurās dēflēvit, nē nōn temptāret umbrās, ad Orcum Taenariā ausus est dēscendere portā, et per levēs populōs simulācraque fūncta sepulcrō Persephonēn adīit inamoenaque rēgna tenentem umbrārum dominum, pulsīsque ad carmina nervīs sīc cantāvit: (lines 11-17)
After Orpheus wept enough to the higher winds (gods), so that he should not test the shadows, he has dared to descend to the Underworld through the Taenarian door, and through the weightless people and the buried ghosts in their grave, he approached Persephone and the ruler of the shadows holding unpleasant power, and as the strings were plucked to his song, he sung thus:
"ō positī sub terrā nūmina mundī in quem reccidimus, quidquid mortāle creāmur, sī licet falsī positīs ambāgibus ōris vēra loquī sinitis, nōn hūc, ut opāca vidērem Tartara, dēscendī, nec ut villōsa colubrīs Medūsaeī vincīrem III guttra mōnstri: causa viae est coniunx, in quam calcāta venēnum vipera diffūdit crescentēsque abstulit annōs. (lines 17-24)
"Oh gods of the world, although placed under the Earth into which we return, whatever mortal thing we are created, if it is permitted, allow me to say the truth with the digressions of my false mouth placed away, I did not descend so I would see the dark Underworld, and nor so that I would conquer the three thrones of the master of Medusa: the cause of the journey is my wife, into which she stepped on a snake which spreaded poison and she took away growing years.
posse patī voluī nec mē temptāvisse negābō: vīcit Amor! superā deus hic benē nōtus in ōrā est; an sit et hīc, dubitō. sed et hīc tamen augoror esse, fāmaque sī veteris nōn mentīta est rapīnae, vōs quoque iunxit Amor. per ego haec loca plēna timōris per Chaos hōc ingēns vastīque silentia regnī, Eurydicēs, ōrō, properāta retexite fāta! (lines 25-31)
I wished to be able to endure pain and I will not deny that I attempted to, Love conquered me! Whether this god was well known among the higher region and where he should be here, I doubt. But I still predict him to be here, and the story of the ancient abduction was not lied about. Love united each one of you, I, through these places full of fear, through this huge chaos and the silences of your vast kingdom, I beg, reweave the rushed fate of Eurydice!
omnia debēntur vōbīs, paulumque morātī sērius aut citius sēdem properāmus ad ūnam. tendimus hūc omnēs, haec est domus ultima, vōsque hūmānī generis longissima regna tenētis. haec quoque, cum iustōs mātūra perēgerit annōs, iūris erit vestrī; prō mūnere poscimus ūsum. (lines 32-37)
All things are being owed to you all, and shortly, sooner of later, we all rush to one chair. We all reach this place, this is the last house, and you all hold the longest kingdoms of human kind. Also this woman will have died mature with years deserved, she will be under your law; we ask for enjoyment in place of a gift.
quod sī fāta negant veniam prō coniuge, certum est nolle redīre mihi; lētō gaudēte duōrum." talia dīcentem nervōsque ad verba movēntem exsanguēs flēbant animae; nec Tantalus undam captāvit refugam, stupuitque Ixīonis orbis, nec carpsēre iecur volūcrēs, urnīsque vacāvērunt Bēlīdēs, inque tuō sēdistī, Sisyphe, saxō. (lines 38-44)
But if the Fates deny the pardon on behalf of my bride, it is certain for me to be unwilling to return; you all rejoice with the death of 2." The bloodless souls were crying, Orpheus saying such, and the string moving to his words, nor Tantalus took hold of the fleeing wave, and he was astounded by Ixions wheel, nor the birds pecked at the liver, and the Beliades' emptied their urns, you sat on your stone, Sisyphus.
tunc prīmum lacrimīs victārum carmine fāma est Eumenidum maduisse genās, nec rēgia coniunx sustinet ōrantī, nec quī regit īma, negāre Eurydicēnque vocant. illa erat inter umbrās recentēs, et incessit passū dē vulnere tardō. (lines 45-49)
There is a story that the cheeks of the Furies were then wet at first, conquered by the song (of Orpheus), and the queen doesn't bear to deny the one begging, nor he who rules below, and they call Eurydice. Eurydice was among the recent deaths, and she steps forwards with a slow step from her wound.
hanc simul et lēgen Phodopēius accipit hēros, nē flectat retrō sua lumina, dōnec Avernās exierit vallēs; aut irrita dōna futūra esse. carpitur acclivis per mūta silentia trāmēs, arduus, obscūrus, cālīgine dēnsus opācā. (lines 50-54) (HYPERBATON>>>>>>)
The Rhodopeian hero (Orpheus) received Eurydice at the same time as the rule that he not bend his eyes back until he will have exited the Avernian Valleys; or the gift will be invalid. The sloped, steep, obscure and dense path is being taken through the silent dead (by Orpheus), through the dark mist.
nec procul āfuerunt tellūris margine summae: hic, nē dēficeret, metuēns avidusque videndī flexit amāns oculōs, et prōtinus illa relapsa est, bracchiaque intendēns prendīque et prendere certāns nil nisi cēdentēs infēlix arripit aurās. (lines 55-59)
And Orpheus and Eurydice were not far away from the highest edge of the land: Orpehus fearing that she fails and eager of seeing, the lover bent his eyes, and immediately Eurydice fell back, and stretching her arms to grasp and to be grasped, unlucky Orpheus takes hold of nothing except withdrawing airs.
iamque iterum moriēns nōn est dē cōniuge quicquam questa suō (quid enim nisi sē quererētur amātam?) suprēmumque 'valē,' quod iam vix auribus ille acciperetm, dīxit revolūtaque rursus eōdem est. (lines 60-63)
And now, dying again, she did not complain about her spouse (what could she complain except for that she has been loved?) and for the last time she said 'bye', yet hardly that Orpheus could hear it with his ears, he said and again, in the same way, she rolled back.
orāntem frustrāque iterum transīre volentem portitor arcuerat: tamen ille VII diēbus squalidus in ripā Cereris sine mūnere sēdit; cūra dolor que animī lacrimaeque alimenta fuēre. (book X, lines 72-75)
And for nothing again, Charon had warded off begging Orpheus wanting to cross: the disheveled man sat that the shore without his gift of Ceres for 7 days; the care, pain, and tears of his soul were his nourishment.
esse deōs Erebī crudelēs questus, in altam sē recipit Rhodopen...
... omnemque refugerat Orpheus femineam Venerem, seu quod malē cesserat illī, sive fidem dederat; multās tamen ardor habēbat iungere sē vatī, multae doluēre repulsae. (book X, lines 76-82)
Orpheus complained that the gods of Erebus were cruel, he takes himself high into Mt. Rhodepe...
... and Orpheus fled every feminine love, either because it had resulted badly for him, or it had given his word; still the passion compelled many women to join themselves to the poet, and many rejected women were hurt.
umbra subit terrās et loca, quae vīderat ante, cuncta recognoscit, quaerēnsque per arva piōrum invēnit Eurydicen cupidīsque amplectitur ulnīs; hic modo coniunctīs spatiantur passibus ambo, nunc praecedentem sequitur, nunc praevius anteit Eurydicenque suam iam tutō respicit Orpheus. (book XI, lines 61-66)
Orpheus went under the lands and he recognizes all the location, which he had seen before, and looking the fields of the blessed, he came upon Eurydice and hugs her with eager arms; now both walk here with connected steps, one now follows the one leading, Orpheus leading now walking in front (of Eurydice), and Orpheus looks back safely at his Eurydice.
