Love is an interesting thing. It can make you believe that up is down and left is right because of how blinding it can and will be. Love is always pure and innocent at first, but once you allow it to go unchecked, that is when you are doomed to spend the rest of eternity in a convoluted mindset. Don't get me wrong however, when the love is the right kind of love, then it is the best thing in the world.

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the most talented musicians of his day. He was an all around golden child, talented, smart, and a great marriage with Eurydice. He had it all, but their perfection as Greece's "it couple" was fated to end shortly. They were too in love to see the truth.

When Eurydice went into the woods, a shepherd by the name of Aristaeus spotted her and was instantly infatuated by her beauty. Real charming. He made his advances and she shut him down, but he kept on going for it. Not the best move on his part because she ran away as fast as she could, only to be bitten by a snake as soon as she did escape and then she died shortly after.

Heartbroken and grieving, Orpheus entered the Underworld with the assistance of his father, Apollo. He charmed his way past all of the defenses and even Hades himself with his music. He just had to see Eurydice again.

The gods allowed him to take Eurydice back with him to the mortal world on one condition. Orpheus had to make it back to the mortal world and the light without looking back and his wife would be restored to a normal woman once more.

Delighted, Orpheus began making his way back out of the Underworld. He tried in vain to hear his wife following him, but he couldn't hear a single step. He started to doubt whether or not the deal was legitimate or if the gods had tricked him into leaving. As soon as he was a few steps away from the light, he lost faith and looked back, only to see Eurydice's shadow being whisked back to the depths of the Underworld as she had been right behind him.

Grieving once more, Orpheus only sang mourning songs until the day he died, which is a debate, but he welcomed death so he could be reunited with his wife once more.

I know this was a long story and a lot of people are thinking "wow Orpheus, you're such an idiot." Either for looking back or for going to the Underworld in the first place when he could have died. But a lot of the time, this is what love makes you do. As Bob Dylan said, "You can't be wise and in love at the same time." Everyone says that love makes you do stupid things, and Orpheus is a prime example of this. He risks his life to bring his wife back from the land of the dead, and right when he is so close, he messes it up because he couldn't trust.

He had a valid reason not to trust however. When have the gods ever been really nice and trustworthy towards mortals? If not, the gods make mortal lives harder because of their big heads and need to be the best at everything. Not to mention, Hades doesn't have the best reputation for being benevolent. Of course Orpheus doubted that he was being fooled. As much as he wanted to believe that what the King of the Dead said was true, he just couldn't and that was his downfall.

It is said that trust is like glass. It's a wondrous thing but is fragile and nearly impossible to repair once broken. Sadly, Orpheus had no glass with the gods, except maybe his father who convinced him to go and get his wife back.

Love on the other hand is more like a fire. It burns brightly and can provide warmth in the darkest of times, but can rage and destroy everything in its path. Orpheus's love consumed him and destroyed him in the end as he died shortly after his quest to the underworld failed and he lost his wife forever. He begged for death just so he could join her.

While Orpheus's love may not seem healthy, it was better than most. Orpheus and Eurydice were in fact in love. It was mutual and reciprocated with each other, unlike Aristaeus who had more of an infatuation and obsessive love towards Eurydice which was definitely not returned from her as when he began to make advances, she ran away. Take a hint man. No means no.

But all in all, love is a truly stupid thing that many people want to experience no matter how painful it is and how blinding it can be, twisting your perception and keeping you from learning the truth in life. (Don't take this as something negative towards love, I'm just trying to explain the story)

And up next I'll tell you all about the Trojan War and convoluted love triangles!