Orpheus (Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς) is a hero of Greek mythology, son of the king of Thrace Œagre and the muse Calliope. Poet and musician, he was sometimes considered a prophet and inspired a religious movement called «orphism». Orpheus was part of the Argonauts; his descent into Hell and his failure to bring his wife Eurydice back into the world of the living shaped his myth.

It seems that the myth of Orpheus is not unique to the culture of ancient Greece, and that it has older origins, perhaps paleolithic.

Apollo offers Orpheus a seven-string lyre and the Muses teach him the art of playing it: he adds two strings to his lyre, thus obtaining the symbolic figure of nine which corresponds to the number of the Muses. Orpheus' lyre was made by Hermes from a turtle shell.