Orpheus was so phenomenal a musician that when his wife died, Orpheus was able to persuade the Underworld powers and guard dog to let him bring her back to life. But there was a condition: She would follow him, but he couldn't look at her until they reached the surface. Orpheus thought he could do it and set out leading his wife up to the light, but something happened and unfortunately, Orpheus couldn't resist turning around. As soon as he turned to look at his beloved wife, he lost her forever.
In another story involving Orpheus in an important, but little mentioned role, Orpheus saved the crew of the Argos. Orpheus' singing was better than that of the Sirens -- the singing sensations that threatened to derail a ship carrying Odysseus and his surviving-to-this-pont crew -- so he counteracted the irresistible sounds of the Sirens with his own music when the Argonauts were forced to pass them by on their quest for the Golden Fleece. The picture of Odysseus in this gallery shows how Odysseus overcame the charm of the same Sirens: he's tied to the mast while his men have wax in their ears.
