
The story of Orpheus is a tale from mythology. Orpheus was the son of Calliope and Eagar, and he was renowned for his musical and poetic abilities. His songs were so captivating that they could charm wild animals and bring inanimate objects to life.
When Orpheus’ wife, Eurydice, died from a snake bite, he journeyed to the underworld to retrieve her. He went to the Devil’s Throat, which is located 30 km from Gela, and his music was so beautiful that Hades agreed to let Eurydice return to the living world. However, there was a condition: Orpheus was not to look back while leading Eurydice up. Unfortunately, just before they reached the upper world, Orpheus looked back, and Eurydice was pulled back into the underworld. Orpheus was devastated by the loss of his wife and avoided the company of women and other human joys. One day, while Orpheus was playing music under a tree, a group of Bacchantes, followers of Dionysus, attacked him. They threw stones and trees at him, but Orpheus’ music was so enchanting that everything missed him. Eventually, the Bacchantes attacked him with their own hands and tore him apart. Orpheus’ head continued to sing as it floated down the river Gela and eventually came to rest on the island of Lesbos.