# Song XII: Orpheus and Eurydice explained — The Consolation of Philosophy

> Chapter companion for The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius.

## What happens

Boethius recounts the myth of Orpheus, who descends to the underworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice through the power of his music, only to lose her by looking back before reaching the light. The tale serves as an allegorical warning against turning back from the pursuit of wisdom and the good.

## Themes in this chapter

### True Happiness

The story warns that true happiness lies in steadfastly pursuing the 'fount of good' without looking back to earthly attachments.

### Vanity of Worldly Goods

Orpheus' loss of Eurydice symbolizes how clinging to worldly desires can cause one to lose the ultimate good.

### Free Will and Foreknowledge

Orpheus' choice to look back illustrates the exercise of free will and its consequences, even when forewarned.

## Character check-ins

### Boethius

The narrator who uses the myth of Orpheus to illustrate the dangers of looking back from the pursuit of the good.

### Philosophy

Implied as the source of the allegory, guiding Boethius toward understanding through the story.

### Siren

Referenced indirectly through the enchanting power of Orpheus' music that calms all creatures.

## Key lines

> Blest he whose feet have stood Beside the fount of good; Blest he whose will could break Earth’s chains for wisdom’s sake!

Blessed is the person who has reached the source of goodness, and blessed is the one whose determination frees them from worldly bonds in pursuit of wisdom.

_Opening lines extolling the virtue of seeking the ultimate good and wisdom._

> What law can lovers move? A higher law is love!

What rule can govern lovers? Love itself is a greater law.

_Reflects on the overpowering nature of love that caused Orpheus to look back._

> Ye who the light pursue, This story is for you, Who seek to find a way Unto the clearer day. If on the darkness past One backward look ye cast, Your weak and wandering eyes Have lost the matchless prize.

You who seek the light and strive to reach a brighter understanding, this tale is for you. If you glance back at the darkness you left behind, your faltering gaze will cause you to lose the incomparable reward.

_Direct moral application of the myth to the reader's philosophical journey._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_consolation_of_philosophy_se/chapters/song-xii-orpheus-and-eurydice
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_consolation_of_philosophy_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_consolation_of_philosophy_se/chapters