The Acherdus was regarded as the ruler and representative of all fresh water in Hellas. Hence he is called by Homer (Il. xx. 194) Kf»cU*F 'AxeAAs^aDd, was worshipped as a mighty god throughout Greece. He is celebrated in mythology on account of his combat with Heracles for the possession of Defaneira. The river-god first attacked Heracles is the form of a serpent, and on being worsted assumed that of a bull. The hero wrenched iff caw of his hams, which forthwith became a u aauunia , or horn of plenty. (Soph. TVocA. 9; Ov. Mtt is. 8| seq.; ApoUod. ii. 7. § 5.) This legend ■Ibdes appaRDtly to some efibrts made at an early period to check 1^ laYages^ which the inmidations «f the HTer caueed in this district; and if the river VM fwnftifd within its bed by embankments, the icpdo woold he oonvcrted in modern times into a land of plenty. For fnrther details respecting the BTtbological chazacter of the Achdoos, see Diet of Btogr. and MffA. «. v. In the Roman poets we find Acheiotdegj i. e. the Suuaa , the daughters ef Achelons (Or. Met ▼. 552): Aekelota QdUrhoe, becaoae CallirhoS was ths daagfater of Adieloas (Or. Met, ix. 413): AckelouMf i. e. water in general (Virg. i. 9): Aehdow» keroi, that is, Tydeus, of OcBeas, king of Calydon, Aehdohu here Wac eqolTaleni to Aetolian. (Stat TAefr. iL 1420 2. A river of Thessaly, in the district of Kalis, kearLmnia. (Strab. pp. 434, 450.) 3. A moimtaiB torrent in Arcadia, flowing into the Alphens, from the north of Moont Lycaeos. (FsiB. Tui 38. § 9.) 4. Abo called Peirus, a river in Achaia, flowing Bear Dyme. (Strab. pp. 342, 450.)
1. A river of Epeims in Thesprotia, which passed throagh the lake Acherasia (^Ax^powria hliuni)^ and after leoeiving the river Cocytus {KAkutos), flowed oio the hmhm sea, S. of the promontory Cheime- riaiB. Fliny (iv. 1) erroneously states that the mv flowed into the Ambradot gulf. The bay of the sea into which it flowed was usually called Gfvcyi Umra (I^mc^ AiM^ar) or Sweet-Harbour, lieanse the water wap fresh on account uf the quan- Utf poorad into it frtan the lake and river. Scylax lod Fkkmy call tha harbour Elaea ^EAof a), and |
the surrotmding district bore aooofding to Thucy- dides the name of Elaeatis ('EAcuoru). The Acheron is the modern GwU» or river of SuU^ the Cocytus is the Vuod^ and the great marsh or Uke below Kattri the Acherusia. The water of the Vttvd is reported to be bad, which agrees with the account of Pausaniss (L 17. § 5) in relation to the water of the Cocytus (ff8o»p Sfrtfnriararw), The Glycys Limen is oilled Port Fandri^ and its water is still fresh; and in the lower part of the plain the river is commonly called the river of Fandri, The upper part of the plain is called Ghfhjf; and thus the ancient name of the harbour has been transferred from the coast into the interior. On the Acheron Aidoneus, the king of the lower world, is said to have reigned, and to have detained here Theseus as a prisoner; and on its banks was an oracle called vtKvotiojnuop (Herod, v. 92. § 7), which was con- ^ y suited by evoking the spirits 5l the dead^^Thuc./^y(r^-: £, t) L 46; Liv. viii. 24; Strab. p. 324; Step^B. '• v*; ^^ . > 7; Pans. L 17. § 5; Dion Cass. 1. 12; Scylax, p. 11; ^^^ '^ ^ Ptolem. iii. 14. § 5; Leake, Northern 0reec6f vol. i. ^Tt(j(i. p. 232, seq. iv. p. 53.) 2. A river of Elis, a tributaiy of the Alphetus, (Strab. p. 344; Leake, Jforeo, vol. ii. p. 89.)
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Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/35
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