Orpheus: Mosaic, Music & Myth
Orpheus is a popular figure in mosaic art from the Roman Empire. He’s often depicted playing the lyre given to him by the god Apollo, which Orpheus famously used to soften the heart of Hades and attempt to retrieve his wife, Eurydice, from the underworld. His mythic departure from and return to the land of the living was only possible through his divine ability as a musician to charm beasts, move mountains, and bring harmony to the natural world.
