"We feel greater sympathy for Orpheus' loss of Eurydice than we do for
Demeter's loss of Persephone." How far do you agree with this
statement? You should refer to any classical sources you have
studied to support your argument, and you should make
comparisons between Greece and Rome.
I agree with this statement to quite an extent, for multiple reasons in which I shall state in the analysis below…
However, I would still like to state that both the losses of Eurydice from Orpheus, and Persephone from
Demeter, whilst both evoking sympathies, in my opinion, the loss of Eurydice had a far greater impact
compared to that of Persephone. Ione of my main reasons for thinking this, is because a story based around
the ideology and values of ‘tragedy-struck-love’ is highly more likely to interest and beguile more modern
audiences- like that of Orpheus and Eurydice; in comparison to that of a cruel ‘love-by-abduction’ storyline-
which may have suited ancient audiences more, as the practice of patrilocal and patriarchal marriage was a
common one, looked over nonchalantly by male Athenian audiences- like that of Persephone and Hades.
Which now is particularly looked down on by younger generation audiences, and modern society and norms
itself.
Throughout Homer’s ‘Hymn to Demeter’ as well as Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses- Orpheus and Eurydice,’ both
authors were clearly able to convey deep senses of pathos, amongst many other similar features, as well as
still being able to keep distinct differences between the two, especially with the more minute attributes, like
the ways of love (the possible contrasts between Greeks and Romans). The layout and concepts of both stories
were in that sense quite similar, however a tremendous polarity between the two, was the level of detail and
description when narrating things such as the emotion a certain character felt, were quite heavily divergent
with Ovid in comparison to Homer.
To begin with, a summary of the story Orpheus and Eurydice from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and Homer’s ‘Hymn
to Demeter’ is necessary; Orpheus was an infamous lyrist, and the son of Apollo- hence is musical capabilities…
and he was also deeply in love with a nymph named Eurydice. Unfortunately for him, their love was short lived
as upon their wedding day, Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died soon after, leaving Orpheus to wallow
within his grief in the mortal world. Unable to bear any longer without poor Eurydice, Orpheus decided to
make his valiant katabasis into the Underworld in a precarious attempt to bring his beloved back into his arms.
Whilst there, he played a song of mourning and grief so impactful, that even Pluto was touched. In return,
Orpheus was granted his wish, and Eurydice was granted the opportunity to live her life once more with him.
However, there was one condition that Orpheus had to abide by, and that was that he could not look back at
Eurydice until his journey out of the Underworld had been concluded. But, near the end of his excursion, he
couldn’t help but look back to check if Eurydice was really there, and just like that, Eurydice was lost to him in
the “vast realms and immense abyss” that is Tartarus.
A similar type of storyline is followed by that of the ‘Homeric Hymn to Demeter’: the poem is a telling of how
Hades, lord of the Underworld, abducted the goddess Persephone, with assistance from his fellow brother,
and additionally how her mother, the goddess Demeter, went through a cyclical pattern of grief, rage and pain
whilst she wandered the Earth for nine days in search for Persephone. Furthermore, it was Persephone’s own
father, the god Zeus, that allowed his brother Hades to abduct her and forcefully engage her in marriage with
him! Zeus even went so far as compelling Gaia to create a Narcissus flower as a trap for poor Persephone. So,
as she was innocently busy collecting these Narcissus flowers from the Plain of Nysa, Hades strode down with
his chariot and kidnapped her, and ultimately forced her into marriage with him.
Whilst Ovid’s recount does entice modern day readers/ audiences with the relatability of the theme of
‘perished love’-and is able to somewhat connect senses of feeling with his story- Homer’s ‘Homeric Hymn to
Demeter’ uses a much wider range of emotive language and descriptions to help and associate audiences/
readers with the story, therefore evoking a greater amount of sympathy when juxtaposed with ‘Orpheus and
Eurydice.’ During the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, many short, descriptive phrases such as “she wailed,” “she
cried out shrilly with her voice,” “being taken against her will,” and “distressed as she was-” are used, in my
opinion, as an antithesis when compared to the lack of emotive linguistics entailed within ‘Orpheus and
Eurydice.’ With Ovid’s retelling of it, any effort of allowing the audience/ reader to sympathise with Orpheus is
Demeter's loss of Persephone." How far do you agree with this
statement? You should refer to any classical sources you have
studied to support your argument, and you should make
comparisons between Greece and Rome.
I agree with this statement to quite an extent, for multiple reasons in which I shall state in the analysis below…
However, I would still like to state that both the losses of Eurydice from Orpheus, and Persephone from
Demeter, whilst both evoking sympathies, in my opinion, the loss of Eurydice had a far greater impact
compared to that of Persephone. Ione of my main reasons for thinking this, is because a story based around
the ideology and values of ‘tragedy-struck-love’ is highly more likely to interest and beguile more modern
audiences- like that of Orpheus and Eurydice; in comparison to that of a cruel ‘love-by-abduction’ storyline-
which may have suited ancient audiences more, as the practice of patrilocal and patriarchal marriage was a
common one, looked over nonchalantly by male Athenian audiences- like that of Persephone and Hades.
Which now is particularly looked down on by younger generation audiences, and modern society and norms
itself.
Throughout Homer’s ‘Hymn to Demeter’ as well as Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses- Orpheus and Eurydice,’ both
authors were clearly able to convey deep senses of pathos, amongst many other similar features, as well as
still being able to keep distinct differences between the two, especially with the more minute attributes, like
the ways of love (the possible contrasts between Greeks and Romans). The layout and concepts of both stories
were in that sense quite similar, however a tremendous polarity between the two, was the level of detail and
description when narrating things such as the emotion a certain character felt, were quite heavily divergent
with Ovid in comparison to Homer.
To begin with, a summary of the story Orpheus and Eurydice from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and Homer’s ‘Hymn
to Demeter’ is necessary; Orpheus was an infamous lyrist, and the son of Apollo- hence is musical capabilities…
and he was also deeply in love with a nymph named Eurydice. Unfortunately for him, their love was short lived
as upon their wedding day, Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died soon after, leaving Orpheus to wallow
within his grief in the mortal world. Unable to bear any longer without poor Eurydice, Orpheus decided to
make his valiant katabasis into the Underworld in a precarious attempt to bring his beloved back into his arms.
Whilst there, he played a song of mourning and grief so impactful, that even Pluto was touched. In return,
Orpheus was granted his wish, and Eurydice was granted the opportunity to live her life once more with him.
However, there was one condition that Orpheus had to abide by, and that was that he could not look back at
Eurydice until his journey out of the Underworld had been concluded. But, near the end of his excursion, he
couldn’t help but look back to check if Eurydice was really there, and just like that, Eurydice was lost to him in
the “vast realms and immense abyss” that is Tartarus.
A similar type of storyline is followed by that of the ‘Homeric Hymn to Demeter’: the poem is a telling of how
Hades, lord of the Underworld, abducted the goddess Persephone, with assistance from his fellow brother,
and additionally how her mother, the goddess Demeter, went through a cyclical pattern of grief, rage and pain
whilst she wandered the Earth for nine days in search for Persephone. Furthermore, it was Persephone’s own
father, the god Zeus, that allowed his brother Hades to abduct her and forcefully engage her in marriage with
him! Zeus even went so far as compelling Gaia to create a Narcissus flower as a trap for poor Persephone. So,
as she was innocently busy collecting these Narcissus flowers from the Plain of Nysa, Hades strode down with
his chariot and kidnapped her, and ultimately forced her into marriage with him.
Whilst Ovid’s recount does entice modern day readers/ audiences with the relatability of the theme of
‘perished love’-and is able to somewhat connect senses of feeling with his story- Homer’s ‘Homeric Hymn to
Demeter’ uses a much wider range of emotive language and descriptions to help and associate audiences/
readers with the story, therefore evoking a greater amount of sympathy when juxtaposed with ‘Orpheus and
Eurydice.’ During the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, many short, descriptive phrases such as “she wailed,” “she
cried out shrilly with her voice,” “being taken against her will,” and “distressed as she was-” are used, in my
opinion, as an antithesis when compared to the lack of emotive linguistics entailed within ‘Orpheus and
Eurydice.’ With Ovid’s retelling of it, any effort of allowing the audience/ reader to sympathise with Orpheus is
