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2018-1-DE03-KA229-047388_2

Acherontas river: Orpheus and Evridiki

Rivers are a source of life….

….joy……

…and happiness…

But in ancient Greece there was a river
which brought only grief, pain and tears……

And this river was……

The name itself caused the ancient Greeks
discomfort, as it derives from the word
«ἄχος» (achos), which describes deep
sadness, sorrow and grief….

According to the Greek Mythology,
Acheron gave water to the thirsty
Titans during their battle with the
sons of Cronus.

This caused the fury of Zeus, who punished
Acheron by sending him to a depth as long
as the distance between the Earth and
the Sky, bittering his waters too.

According to the Greek Mythology, Hermes
was the soul carrier.

Hermes gave the souls to Charon, the boat
owner, who the souls had to pay, so that
they would end up in the kingdom of
Hades.

The gates of Hades were guarded by a
three-headed monster, Kerveros. Once
someone went through the gates, there
was no turning back…

With one exception…
An exception that proves that true love can
even bring someone back to life….

Music was for the ancient Greeks something
more than just simple entertainment….It was
Mathematics, it was the Algebra of the
metaphysical theories, it was knowledge, it
was a force that was “supernatural”…..

According to the tradition, the lyre of Zeus
used to spell magic on the stones and rocks,
so that the rocks themselves moved and
built the walls round Thebes, leaving seven
gates, one for every string of Zeus’s lyre….

But no matter how many stories and myths
there are, not one is more touching than
the love story of Orpheus and Evridiki…..

Orpheus: The son of the king of Thrace
Oeagros and the muse Kalioppi, known
for the magic strength of his lyre, his
music and his poetry…..

According to the legend, Apollo himself
taught Orpheus how to play the lyre, giving
him his own lyre as a gift….

Orpheus’s music was so sweet, that no one
could resist, not even the wild beasts of
the Thrace forests, where he would
wander playing his music and singing…..

There, in the forest of Thrace, he met the
nymph Evridiki, who he married….

But their happiness did not last long, as
Evridiki was bitten by a snake and died…..

Orpheus was shattered and sang so bitterly,
that even the stones cracked….And this is why
the gods, who loved him so much, allowed him
to go down to the kingdom of Hades, meet
Pluto and ask him to take Evridiki back…..

So he set off to Hades, Hermes led him,
and with his sweet melodies he put the
guard of Hades, Kerveros, into sleep…..

Pluto gave in to Orpheus’s grief and
music….But he had a proposal to make….

He would let him take Evridiki to the Upper
World, on one condition…Orpheus must not
look at her before they reach the surface of the
Earth…..

Orpheus could not be happier! He agreed
and with Hermes as their guide out of
Hades, headed towards the exit, Evridiki
following them two…

But just a few steps before the exit, carried away
by his love and happiness, Orpheus turned his
head towards Evridiki and took a glimpse of
her….

She at once disappeared, leaving him all
alone…..Again….

….by the waters of Acheron river…..