Book Ten begins with the familiar story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus, famous bard, uses his songs to re-claim his new bride Eurydice from the Underworld, only to lose her to death once again when he looks back at her too early as they are leaving the land of the dead. The rest of the book is a series of stories told by Orpheus to illustrate, perhaps, the dangers of marriage, and what a world without marriage would be like. Better or worse? We spent most of our time thinking through this question, using the story of Pygmalion, deluded craftsman who fashions an “ivory-girl” for himself, and the story of his granddaughter Myrrah, who lusts after her father Cinyras, with disastrous results.

What is the meaning of Orpheus glance back at Eurydice? Why does this glance cause her to die again? Are the stories which follow her second death a series of broadsides against marriage and romantic love? If so, why do the themes of incest, artifice, pederasty appear so prominently within them? Do the gods do us any favors when they make us beautiful, or is physical beauty in fact one of their most subtle and diabolical curses?