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Euridice flees from her father's court to escape an arranged marriage to Aristaeus (an important character who never actually appears in the opera). In a nearby forest she is about to be attacked by savage followers of Aristaeus when they are pacified by Orpheus, son of the river god. On learning of his daughter's rescue, Creon allows her to marry Orpheus. Aristaeus plots revenge by diverting the attention of Orpheus so that his men can abduct Euridice. During her attempt to escape from the kidnappers Euridice is bitten by a snake and dies. Orpheus sings a stirring lament over her corpse. War breaks out between Aristaeus and Creon. After Euridice's funeral ceremony, Orpheus consults the Sibyl, who tells him to be philosophical and stay calm. If he does this, he will see his wife again. She guides him down to the Underworld. Pluto is moved by his condition and lets Orpheus visit Euridice in the Elysian Fields. Spirits then let him take her back up to Earth, but he is unable to obey their order not to look back, so she dies once more, this time for good. The Sibyl also abandons him. Back on the surface, wretched Orpheus meets some Bacchantes who attempt to lure him to join their orgies. He resists, and so they give him a drink which contains poison. After his agonising death, they prepare to tear him to pieces, but his father, the river god, raises a violent storm. The Bacchantes are drowned, and the body of Orpheus is floated gently off on the waves.
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