In Greek mythology, the wife of Orpheus who died from a snakebite and whom he tried to rescue from the underworld.
From Greek 'Eurydike,' possibly meaning 'wide' or 'expansive' justice, from 'eury-' (wide) + 'dike' (justice). She appears in Homer and is best known from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses.'
Eurydice's story is one of history's saddest—Orpheus nearly saves her from the underworld but fails because he looks back at her when he was told not to. This story about the danger of doubt became the basis for countless operas, poems, and songs about impossible love.
Eurydice in Greek mythology is defined entirely by victimhood and male agency—she exists to be lost, mourned, and rescued (or not) by Orpheus. Her voice, perspective, and autonomy are absent.
When invoking this mythological reference, acknowledge the erasure. Center women's narratives rather than using her story to illustrate male suffering.
Contemporary retellings by women authors (e.g., Sarah Ruhl) restore Eurydice's voice and agency, countering millennia of male-centered storytelling.
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