Orpheus is a renowned poet and musician from Thrace. He wields divine musical ability, playing the lyre with such skill that stones, trees, and animals are moved by his melodies. Deeply devoted to his new bride, Eurydice, he possesses a passionate nature that pushes him to defy the natural boundaries of life and death when tragedy strikes.

Eurydice is a beautiful nymph living in Thrace who captures the heart of the legendary musician Orpheus. Shortly after her wedding, she is bitten by a venomous snake and perishes. In the underworld, she relies on her husband's daring attempt to sway the gods and bring her back to the land of the living.

Hades, also known as Pluto or Dis, is the formidable god of the underworld. He governs the shades of the dead with strict, unforgiving authority. Usually unswayed by human emotion or pleas, he acts as the ultimate arbiter of fate for those who enter his subterranean domain.

Persephone, or Proserpina, is the goddess of the underworld and the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Having been abducted by Hades in the past, she now rules alongside him, commanding great control over the spirits of the dead. She shares authority with her husband over the terms of any pact made with mortals.

Appearing in Virgil's version, Aristaeus is a skilled shepherd and beekeeper. Driven by lust, he pursues Eurydice through the grass, inadvertently causing her fatal encounter with a venomous snake. He later faces divine punishment for his transgressive actions and must seek guidance to restore his ruined hives.

Proteus is the Old Man of the Sea, a mythological figure who possesses knowledge of all things. He acts as a narrator within Virgil's framing story, explaining the moral and cosmic reasons behind the disasters plaguing Aristaeus's bees.

Cyrene is a goddess and the mother of Aristaeus. When her son experiences a mysterious blight upon his hives, she provides him with the necessary instructions to seek out the truth and make amends for his past transgressions.

Hymen is the god of marriage who appears in Ovid's version of the myth. He presides over wedding ceremonies, but his presence at Orpheus's nuptials is marked by a sputtering, smoke-filled torch and an unsmiling demeanor, serving as a dark omen for the couple.

Sisyphus is a shade condemned to forever push a large boulder up a steep hill in Hades, only to have it roll back down. When Orpheus plays his lyre, Sisyphus is so enchanted that he sits down on his rock to rest.

Tantalus is a shade suffering eternal punishment in Hades for his crimes against the gods. He stands in water that dries up whenever he tries to drink, but he temporarily forgets his burning thirst upon hearing the music of Orpheus.

Ixion was a Thessalian king punished by Zeus for attempting to seduce Hera. Condemned to spin on a fiery wheel in Hades forever, his torment is miraculously paused when Orpheus plays his lyre.

Cerberus is the fearsome, three-headed watchdog of Hades. Despite his monstrous nature and duty to keep the living out and the dead inside, he is pacified by the magical singing of the Thracian minstrel.

The Furies are fearsome entities of the underworld characterized by their hair of writhing snakes. Normally associated with vengeance and horror, they are profoundly moved by the sadness of Orpheus's song, shedding tears for the first time.