The Sirens (left) tempt Argonauts with their song. Orpheus (middle of boat) played his lyre and drowned out the Sirens' song.


According to Greek and Roman mythology, Orpheus, whose father was king of Thrace, and whose mother was the head muse Calliope, the goddess of epic poetry and eloquence. The god Apollo gave young Orpheus a lyre and he became an extraordinary musician. He traveled with the Argonauts to reclaim the Golden Fleece in Colchis. As the Argonauts (headed by Jason) passed the three small rocky islands with the Sirens, whose singing lured all who passed by and they never returned home. In this 1882 illustration, the Sirens (at left) tempt the Argonauts sailing by with their song. Orpheus (middle of boat) played his lyre and drowned out the song of the Sirens. The Argonauts then continued their journey.


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Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: ancient, argonauts, calliope, gods, greece, greek, jason, legend, lyre, man, muse, myth, mythology, odysseus, orpheus, pagan, playing, plays, religion, roman, rome, sirens, thrace, ulysses