And to give this some added perspective – Eurydike is thought to have originally been an epiklesis of Persephone meaning “Widely Ruling.”
The actual name of Orpheus’ wife, according to Hermesianax of Colophon, was Agriope:
Such was she whom the dear son of Oiagros, armed only with the lyre, brought back from Haides, even the Thracian Agriope. Aye, he sailed to that evil and inexorable place where Charon drags into the common barque the souls of the departed; and over the lake he shouts afar, as it pours its flood from out the tall reeds. Yet Orpheus, though girded for the journey all alone, dared to sound his lyre beside the wave, and he won over gods of every shape; even the lawless Kokytos he saw, raging beneath his banks; and he flinched not before the gaze of the hound most dread, his voice baying forth angry fire, with fire his cruel eye gleaming, an eye that on triple heads bore terror. Whence, by his song, Orpheus persuaded the mighty lords that Agriope should recover the gentle breath of life.
It means “Wild Eyed” – like a maenad – and agriope is also the name of a species of spider. Despite what you might assume, there is no relation to the Erigoninae family.
Funny, I just noticed – both Erigone and Persephone have their faithful hounds. I wonder if that’s what I was picking up on earlier.
Tagged: dionysos, erigone, haides, orpheus, persephone, spider
