Living Poets

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Ὀρφέα δὲ τὸν Οἰάγρου ἀτελῆ ἀπέπεμψαν ἐξ Ἅιδου, φάσμα δείξαντες τῆς γυναικὸς ἐφ’ ἣν ἧκεν, αὐτὴν δὲ οὐ δόντες, ὅτι μαλθακίζεσθαι ἐδόκει, ἅτε ὤν κιθαρωιδός, καὶ οὐ τολμᾶν ἕνεκα τοῦ ἔρωτος ἀποθνήισκειν ὥσπερ Ἄλκηστις, ἀλλὰ διαμηχανᾶσθαι ζῶν εἰσιέναι εἰς Ἅιδου. τοιγάρτοι διὰ ταῦτα δίκην αὐτῶι ἐπέθεσαν, καὶ ἐποίησαν τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ γυναικῶν γενέσθαι, οὐχ ὥσπερ Ἀχιλλέα τὸν τῆς Θέτιδος υἱὸν ἐτίμησαν καὶ εἰς μακάρων νήσους ἀπέπεμψαν.

But Orpheus the son of Oeagrus they sent uninitiated from Hades, having shown him a phantom of the wife in quest of whom he came, but not giving her, because he seemed to be effeminate, being a lyre player, and did not dare to die for the sake of love like Alcestis, but contrived to go to Hades alive. Therefore, on account of this, they made him pay the penalty and made him die at the hands of women, not like Achilles, the son of Thetis, whom they honoured and sent to the Isles of the Blessed.

Relevant guides	Orpheus