It forms part of the English opera tradition of Blow's Venus and Adonis, but was never staged due to changes in popular taste at the time.

Indeed, the opera remained unperformed until the mid twentieth century, eclipsed by George Frideric Handel's 1744 secular oratorio of the same name, based on the same libretto.

Disguised as Ino, Juno falsely tells Semele that she has the opportunity to become immortal if only she can persuade Jupiter to appear before her as he truly is, in his natural godly state.

Congreve published his libretto in 1710, but Eccles's music remained unheard, with popular fashion turning towards the Italianate style of opera seria.

[2] Eccles' Semele forms part of the English opera tradition that had begun with Blow's Venus and Adonis (c1683) and included Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (c. 1685–9).

The lack of productions in later years may owe something to the fact that modern directors have found Handel's setting of the same libretto so easy to turn into an opera.