Katabasis in book 10 is the last major inclusion of the theme by Ovid in the "Metamorphoses". Orpheus is distraught by the death of his wife, Eurydice. He enters the underworld through the Spartan Gates and visits Dis and Proserpina to beg for the return of his bride. Overcome by the heartfelt song of Orpheus, Proserpina calls Eurydice to leave with her husband–on the condition that he does not look back until he reaches the exit. When he looks back, his wife disappears, and he is pained by grief for her death a second time. Mesopotamian mythology Ancient Egyptian mythology Greek
Orpheus in the Underworld (Transformation Scene). Eurydice finds that death is not so bad when the God of Death is in love with you ("La mort m'apparaît souriante"), and so keeps coming back for one more verse. They descend into the Underworld as soon as Eurydice has left a note telling her husband she has been unavoidably detained (Descent to the Underworld). All seems to be going well for Orphée until Public Opinion catches up with him, and threatens to ruin his violin teaching career unless he goes to rescue his wife. Orphée reluctantly agrees. "Scene 2: Olympus" The scene changes to Olympus, where