After the sad demise of Eurydice, his beloved, Orpheus became completely shattered and desolate. Nothing could bring solace to his tormented soul. He played extremely sad songs to the pleasure of the rocks and the rivers and the trees. His only comfort was to lay on a huge rock and look at the blue sky. He repulsed the romantic advances of the Thracian women and stopped to worship any god, except Apollo.

Among Orpheus’ rejected lovers were the Maenads, a group of women who used to worship Bacchus. Once those insulted and angry band of unruly women attacked Orpheus under the influence of drinks and started to throw stones at him. However, the missiles refuse to hit Orpheus, as they were enchanted by his music. The women then raised a scream to drown the sound of the music, and this time the missiles reached him and soon were stained with his blood. They killed him, cut his body into pieces and threw them and his lyre into the river Hebrus, down which they floated, murmuring sad music.

It is said that his head and his lyre floated down the river to the island of Lesvos, where it was discovered by the Muses. They collected the remains of his body and buried them at Libethra, where a nightingale is said to sing over his grave. His lyre was placed by Jupiter among the stars. His shadow passed a second time to Tartarus, where he found his lady love Eurydice again and embraced her with his eager arms.