Eurydice, bored stupid with her marriage to the lowly music professor Orpheus, is having a love affair with Pluto, the God of the Underworld, who is disguised as a local shepherd and has lured her into a cornfield where she is bitten by a snake and falls dying in his arms. He then reveals his true self, and brings her back to life so she can leave a message for Orpheus, and then whisks her away to Hades, his underworld realm. Not being happy with his marriage, Orpheus is rather pleased with this development but is persuaded by the allegorical character Public Opinion to try and rescue her; so they depart for Mount Olympus to seek help from Jupiter, King of the Gods.

Following orders from Jupiter, the god Mercury arrives with news regarding the scandalous disappearance of Eurydice on Earth and the fact that Orpheus is on the way to ask Jupiter to return his wife to him. Pluto has of course lied to Jupiter about the location of Eurydice, who is being kept in his boudoir in Hades, and where she is being guarded and entertained by John Styx, the former King of Boetia. On arrival at Pluto’s boudoir in Hades, Orpheus, Jupiter and the other Gods realise that Eurydice is nowhere to be found. However, with the intervention of the playful God of love, Cupid, Jupiter is able to access her face to face, by transforming into the form of a fly, as he has decided he would rather like the lady for himself. She loves the fly so he turns back into himself and invites her to join him at a party on Mount Olympus.

Eurydice arrives disguised as a bacchante, a follower of Bacchus, the God of Wine, but is recognized by Pluto who prevents Jupiter making off with her. In response Jupiter again accuses Pluto of abducting her and on the arrival of Orpheus and Public Opinion he tells Orpheus he can walk his wife back to Earth, but only if he does not look back at her as they go; something he fails to achieve after being forced into turning around by Jupiter. He then announces that Eurydice is to be turned into a real Bacchante, with which everyone is delighted (all except Pluto and Public Opinion). And so this wonderful Offenbach operetta reaches its climax and conclusion with the Can-Can being danced by all the Gods and Goddesses.