The Gaze of Orpheus The Gaze of Orpheus The Gaze of Orpheus is derived from the antiquarian Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Following his descent into the Underworld Orpheus disobeys Hades’ and Persephone’s condition for release of his wife Eurydice. "To you this tale refers, Who seek to lead your mind Into the upper day; For he who overcome should turn back his gaze Towards the Tartarean cave, Whatever excellence he takes with him He loses when he looks on those below." [ “Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy 3.52] The Gaze of Orpheus has since been evaluated by many a philosopher and literary critic.
Eurydice (wife of Antipater II of Macedon) named in honor of her maternal aunt Eurydice of Egypt, another daughter of Antipater, who was one of the wives of the Greek Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter. The name "Eurydice", is a dynastic name of the Argead dynasty (see Eurydice-Historical women). The name also reveals her relations to the Argead dynasty as her maternal grandfather and her maternal great-uncle Cassander were distant collateral relatives to the Argead dynasty. At an unknown date, Lysimachus renamed the city Smyrna to "Eurydiceia" in honor of Eurydice, an innovation that did not last long. Lysimachus issued coinage depicting Eurydice on the obverse as a