Born in Greek mythology, Orpheus is an ancient Thracian prophet, the founder of religious-philosophical teaching Orphism, and according to ancient authors he was also a singer, musician, and poet. Numerous ancient authors call him the greatest singer and poet of antiquity. He was the founder of religious rites called orphic mysteries, which became popular in the Hellenistic world in the era after the conquests of Alexander III of Macedon, i.e., after 323 BC up to 30 BC.
Orpheus is credited with the authorship of a large number of hymns called Orphic, which praised the deities of nature. Through these hymns, Orpheus taught his countrymen to pay respects to the nature. His teaching was an attempt to ennoble the harsh manners very common at his time and to improve the culture of people.
Among the numerous variants of the Orphic legends, the most sustainable are those of his amazing gift as a musician and singer. His initial canonized image is the tamer of the wild world through music created by his miraculous lyre.
But the recovery of the biographical facts from life of the mythological figure of Orpheus is an uncommonly difficult and risky task, not immune to mistakes. However, a closer look over the ancient sources can help to recover at least partially the personality of the ancient prophet.
The Enigma of the Thracians and the Orpheus Myth
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