e minstrels none was so famous as Orpheus who had
gone with the Argonauts; none could tell truer things about the gods,
for he himself was half divine.

But a great grief came to Orpheus, a grief that stopped his singing and
his playing upon the lyre. His young wife Eurydice was taken from him.
One day, walking in the garden, she was bitten on the heel by a
serpent, and straightway she went down to the world of the dead.

Then everything in this world was dark and bitter for the minstrel
Orpheus; sleep would not come to him, and for him food had no taste.
Then Orpheus said: "I will do that which no mortal has ever done
before; I will do that which even the immortals might shrink from
doing: I will go down into the world of the dead, and I will bring back
to the living and to the light my bride Eurydice."

Then Orpheus went on his way to the valley of Acherusia which goes
down, down into the world of the dead. He would never have found his
way to that valley if the trees had not shown him the way. For as he
went along Orpheus played upon his lyre and sang, and the trees heard
his song and they were moved by his grief, and with their arms and
their heads they showed him the way to the deep, deep valley of
Acherusia.

Down, down by winding paths through that deepest and most shadowy of
all valleys Orpheus went. He came at last to the great gate that opens
upon the world of the dead. And the silent guards who keep watch there
for the rulers of the dead were affrighted when they saw a living
being, and they would not let Orpheus approach the gate.

But the minstrel, knowing the reason for their fear, said: "I am not
Heracles come again to drag up from the world of the dead your
three-headed dog Cerberus. I am Orpheus, and all that my hands can do
is to make music upon my lyre."

And then he took the lyre in his hands and played upon it. As he
played, the silent watchers gathered around him, leaving the gate
unguarded. And as he played the rulers of the dead came forth, Aidoneus
and Persephone, and listened to the words of the living man.

"The cause of my coming through the dark and fearful ways," sang
Orpheus, "is to strive to gain a fairer fate for Eurydice, my bride.
All that is above must come down to you at last, O rulers of the most
lasting world. But before her time has Eurydice been brought here. I
have desired strength to endure her loss, but I cannot endure it. And I
come before you, Aidoneus and Persephone