Krewe of Orpheus Sirens, Orpheus took up his lyre and began to sing. The Sirens' song lost all its power, and the women were changed into rocks. However, Orpheus' greatest feat involved his beautiful wife, Eurydice. Shortly after their marriage, Eurydice was pursued by Aristaeus, who was overwhelmed by her beauty. When fleeing his advances, Eurydice stepped on a snake, which bit her foot, and she died. Overcome with grief, Orpheus vowed to rescue her from the regions of the dead. Orpheus gained entry to the Underworld by using his music to charm Charon, the ferryman and Cerberus, the three headed dog that
Hades Achilles, whom Odysseus conjured with a blood libation, said: Hades, as the god of the dead, was a fearsome figure to those still living; in no hurry to meet him, they were reluctant to swear oaths in his name, and averted their faces when sacrificing to him. Since to many, simply to say the word "Hades" was frightening, euphemisms were pressed into use. Since precious minerals come from under the earth (i.e., the "underworld" ruled by Hades), he was considered to have control of these as well, and as such the Greeks referred to him as Πλούτων (Greek "Plouton"; Latin