Orpheus (; ) was a legendary musician, poet, and
prophet in
ancient Greek religion and
myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music, his attempt to retrieve his wife,
Eurydice, from the
underworld, and his death at the hands of those who could not hear his divine music. As an archetype of the inspired singer, Orpheus is one of the most significant figures in the
reception of
classical mythology in
Western culture, portrayed or
alluded to in countless forms of art and popular culture including poetry, film, opera, music, and painting.
