“He stopped, and now, even at the confines of light (thoughtless alas!) and deprived of understanding, he looked back at his Eurydice: there all his labour vanished, and the conditions of the cruel tyrant were broken and a groan was thrice heard in the Avernian lake. Then she; who is it, O Orpheus, that has destroyed miserable me, and thee also? Whose great madness was this? Lo, again the cruel Fates call me back, and sleep seals up my swimming eyes. And now adieu: I am carried away encompassed with thick darkness, and stretching out my hands to you in vain, alas being no longer yours. She said, and fled suddenly from his sight a different way, like smoke mixing with thin air: nor did she see him catching in vain at the shadows, and desiring to say a great deal more; nor did the ferry-man of hell suffer him again to pass over the withstanding lake.”
(-Virgil, Georgicks)
What are we to make of this reoccurring motif of “Mortal’s not heeding a divine warning?” There are many fascinating examples in Greek myth. When Psyche looks upon her secret lover’s face (Eros) against his orders, it sets her on a long journey where she ultimately must perform impossible labors to appease Aphrodite. In the final task, after trekking to Hades to collect some of Persephone’s beauty in a box, the girl can’t help but peak within the box, which renders her unconscious, and she is only saved by Eros in the end coming to remove the sleep.
Pandora, the first mortal woman created by Hephaestus, was warned not to open the jar offered by Zeus as a present, but when her curiosity overpowered her, she opened the lid, releasing ills and evils into the world. When King Pentheus, in his arrogance, denied the divinity of Dionysus, the god bewitched the king’s mother and aunts who tore the man apart, thinking him a lion. King Erysichiton, ignoring the warning, cut down sacred trees in the grove of Demeter, and was cursed with everlasting hunger, resulting in him later devouring his own flesh.
As always, thanks for looking and reading! I appreciate everyone on Tumblr sharing my images with other myth/ lovers! :D If you want to see more of my artwork, please click my linktree: https://linktr.ee/tylermileslockett
