Alpheus
godRiver god of the Alpheus, the largest river in the Peloponnese.
The Myth
Alpheus fell in love with the nymph Arethusa, pursuing her across land and sea. When she fled to the island of Ortygia near Syracuse, Artemis transformed her into a spring. Undeterred, Alpheus flowed beneath the sea from Greece to Sicily to mingle his waters with hers. The Greeks believed flowers cast into the Alpheus in Elis would surface in the spring at Syracuse, proving the rivers continued beneath the Mediterranean.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The real Alpheus River in Greece flows past Olympia, site of the ancient Olympic Games, and was used for the athletes' bathing.
Explore Further
Arethusa
nymphArethusa was a nymph of Artemis who was pursued by the river god Alpheus and transformed into a...
Artemis
godTwin sister of Apollo and goddess of the hunt. Artemis roamed the wild forests with her band of...
Oceanus
titanThe great Titan who personified the vast river believed to encircle the entire world. Father of all...
Olympia
placeOlympia was the sanctuary in the Peloponnese where the ancient Olympic Games were held every four...
Tethys
titanTethys was the Titaness of fresh water — the great nurse of all life, whose thousands of river and...
Cephissus
godRiver god of the Cephissus, the principal river of Attica and Boeotia.
Achelous
godAchelous was the god of the mightiest river in Greece and father of the Sirens — he wrestled...
Aeolus
godAeolus kept winds in a leather bag on his floating island.
Amphitrite (Goddess)
godAmphitrite co-ruled the oceans with Poseidon.
Aphrodite
godGoddess of love and beauty, born from the sea foam. Aphrodite's power to inspire desire was so...
Apollo
godGod of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine...
Apollo (Light)
godApollo was the most complex Olympian — god of light, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, plague, and...