Book 9 of Ovid's metamorphoses ends with a myth about the love and marriage of Iphis and Ianthe. The story is about a girl named Iphis whose mother convinces her father that Iphis is a boy lest she not be killed. When she is thirteen, a marriage is arranged between her and another girl named Ianthe. The two fall in love. The mother pray's for a miracle and for the gods to change Iphis into a boy. The gods answer her prayers and Iphis is turned into a boy. At the start of book 10, Hymen is walking to the Ciconian country from the marriage between Iphis and Ianthe. As he is walking, he hears Orpheus's cries. Orpheus just found his newly wed wife dead in a field after she was bitten by a snake on a walk. Orpheus decided to go down to the underworld to get her back. He is a musician, so he brought his lyre and song on his journey. Once he was there, he asked Persephone and Hades in a song to let him take his wife back. His song was so moving that they granted his wish on one condition: he may not look back to make sure she is following him. Orpheus leads Eurydice all the way until they can see the light from the world above. However, Orpheus must turn around to make sure she is still there. All he see's is her falling back into the underworld, gone for good. Orpheus grieves his wife's death and lives for three more years unmarried.
The next story in the metamorphoses is the story of Cyparissus. Cyparissus accidentally shot and killed a dear and felt so guilty that he asked Apollo if he could mourn forever. Apollo then turned him into a cypress, a tree of mourning. Orpheus then goes to the sight where the cypress remains and sings there. Orpheus sings the rest of the stories in book 10 until his death in book 11.
Ovid writes his interpretation of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in response to Virgil's interpretation. Ovid emphasizes and adds detail where Virgil does not. Similarly, he does not go into as much detail where Virgil does.
The next story in the metamorphoses is the story of Cyparissus. Cyparissus accidentally shot and killed a dear and felt so guilty that he asked Apollo if he could mourn forever. Apollo then turned him into a cypress, a tree of mourning. Orpheus then goes to the sight where the cypress remains and sings there. Orpheus sings the rest of the stories in book 10 until his death in book 11.
Ovid writes his interpretation of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in response to Virgil's interpretation. Ovid emphasizes and adds detail where Virgil does not. Similarly, he does not go into as much detail where Virgil does.