According to Greek and Roman mythology, Orpheus, whose father was king of Thrace, and whose mother was the head muse Calliope, the goddess of epic poetry and eloquence. The god Apollo gave young Orpheus a lyre and he became an extraordinary musician. He traveled with the Argonauts to reclaim the Golden Fleece in Colchis. As the Argonauts (headed by Jason) passed the three small rocky islands with the Sirens, whose singing lured all who passed by and they never returned home, Orpheus played his lyre (pictured in this 1911 illustration) and drowned out the sound of the Sirens. The Argonauts then continued their journey. Orpheus is perhaps best known for his his descent to Hades to regain his wife Eurydice, playing his lyre to calm the three-headed Cerberus.