blog writing #the myth orpheus: a death-defying love

Greek mythology dates back to more than 2,000 years. The majority of Greek mythology tales are still used in modern speech and vocabulary. For example, we talk about the risks associated with opening Pandora's box (Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books, 1970). We describe a person's weakness as their Achilles heel. We also describe a difficult activity as Herculean task. Similarly, one is said to possess the Midas touch when they can make things work out well. Among the most remarkable tragic love stories in Greek mythology is the one about the musician Orpheus and his wife Eurydice. The narrative tells of poetry, death, the afterlife, and love that perished from fear and uncertainty. For most of us, life is managed by practicality and quantification. A great story is a kind of vast, invisible temple where this process takes place; it's a temple free of creeds and dogmas, but it's a place where we can face our biggest questions. Such stories have the power to shape our lives, our interactions with one another, and even our perceptions of the outside world.