Orpheus
Family: Argonauts · Role: poet · First appears: Book I 1
Life events
- The Argonauts build an altar and sacrifice to Apollo after his appearance.(Book II 6 · 📍 Thynias)
- The heroes swear an oath to help one another with concord of heart.(Book II 6 · 📍 Thynias)
- With: Jason
- “Now when they had celebrated him with dance and song they took an oath with holy libations, that they would ever help each other with concord of heart”
- Orpheus’s lyre overcomes the Sirens’ song and prevents the heroes from landing.(Book IV 7 · 📍 Anthemoessa)
- “had not Thracian Orpheus, son of Oeagrus, stringing in his hands his Bistonian lyre, rung forth the hasty snatch of a rippling melody so that their ears might be filled with the sound of his twanging; and the lyre overcame the maidens’ voice.”
Book I 1
- parent: Calliope “First then let us name Orpheus whom once Calliope bare”
- friends with Jason “Such then was Orpheus whom Aeson’s son welcomed to share his toils”
- parent: Oeagrus “whom once Calliope bare, it is said, wedded to Thracian Oeagrus”
Book II 6
- parent: Oeagrus (Orpheus is identified as Oeagrus’s son.) “And at length Orpheus spake as follows, addressing the chiefs: ‘Come, let us call this island the sacred isle of Apollo of the Dawn since he has appeared to all, passing by at dawn; and we will offer such sacrifices as we can, building an altar on the shore; and if hereafter he shall grant us a safe return to the Haemonian land, then will we lay on his altar the thighs of horned goats. And now I bid you propitiate him with the steam of sacrifice and libations. Be gracious, O king, be gracious in thy appearing.’ Thus he spake, and they straightway built up an altar with shingle; and over the island they wandered, seeking if haply they could get a glimpse of a fawn or a wild goat, that often seek their pasture in the deep wood. And for them Leto’s son provided a quarry; and with pious rites they wrapped in fat the thigh bones of them all and burnt them on the sacred altar, celebrating Apollo, Lord of Dawn. And round the burning sacrifice they set up a broad dancing-ring, singing, ‘All hail fair god of healing, Phoebus, all hail,’ and with them Oeagrus’ goodly son began a clear lay on his Bistonian lyre”
- patron: Apollo “And for them Leto’s son provided a quarry; and with pious rites they wrapped in fat the thigh bones of them all and burnt them on the sacred altar, celebrating Apollo, Lord of Dawn. And round the burning sacrifice they set up a broad dancing-ring, singing, ‘All hail fair god of healing, Phoebus, all hail,’ and with them Oeagrus’ goodly son began a clear lay”
Book IV 7
- parent: Oeagrus “had not Thracian Orpheus, son of Oeagrus, stringing in his hands his Bistonian lyre”
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Extracted from the original text of The Argonautica. Made with Rho MD.