Acheron
Acheron, a river of the lower world
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
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Acheronte Proper-name noun: masculine ablative singular of Acheron
- I A river in Epirus, which flows through the Lake Acherusia into the Ambracian Gulf, now Suli, Liv. 8, 24, 3; Plin. 4, 1, 1, § 4.—
- II A fabulous river in the Lower World: illi qui fluere apud inferos dicuntur, Acheron, Cocytus, Styx, etc., Cic. N. D. 3, 17: via Tartarei quae fert Acherontis ad undas, Verg. A., 6, 295 al.—Hence,
- B The Lower World itself: Acherontem obibo, ubi mortis thesauri objacent, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 201 Müll. (Trag. v. 278 ed. Vahl.): flectere si nequeo Superos, Acheronta movebo, Verg. A. 7, 312: perrupit Acheronta Herculeus labor, Hor. C. 1, 3, 36. In prose: ut eum suo sanguine ab Acheronte, si possent, cuperent redimere, Nep. Dion. 10, 2.
- —Hence, Ăchĕrontēus, a, um, adj., pertaining to the Acheron, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 351.
aestivi ~ontis voragines
poenis Acherontis adusti
sub horrida stagna tartarei sit projectus ~ontis
quid seu ballivis dicam, qui sunt Acherontis / ut rapide furie?
- 1. rivier in Epirus, nu Acherondas;
- 2. rivier in Bruttium;
- 3. (in de mythologie) rivier in de onderwereld, vd. poët. ook aanduiding voor de onderwereld zelf; ➤ fugere Acheronta onsterfelijkheid verkrijgen; — adj. Acherontēus, Acherontius en Acheronticus, a, um behorend tot de Acheron, van de Acheron.
(Ἀχέρων). In ancient geography there occur several rivers of this name, all of which were, at least at one time, believed to be connected with the lower world. The river first looked upon in this light was the Acheron in Thesprotia, in Epirus, a country which appeared to the earliest Greeks as the end of the world in the west, and the locality of the river led them to the belief that it was the entrance into the lower world. When subsequently Epirus and the countries beyond the sea became better known, the Acheron or the entrance to the lower world was transferred to other more distant parts, and at last the Acheron was placed in the lower world itself. Thus we find in the Homeric poems (Od. 10.513; comp. Paus. 1.17.5) the Acheron described as a river of Hades, into which the Pyriphlegeton and Cocytus are said to flow. Virgil (Aen. 6.297, with the note of Servius) describes it as the principal river of Tartarus, from which the Styx and Cocytus sprang. According to later traditions, Acheron had been a son of Helios and Gaea or Demeter, and was changed into the river bearing his name in the lower world, because he had refreshed the Titans with drink during their contest with Zeus. They further state that Ascalaphus was a son of Acheron and Orphne or Gorgyra. (Natal. Com. 3.1.) In late writers the name Acheron is used in a general sense to designate the whole of the lower world. (Verg. A. 7.312; Cic. post redit. in Senat. 10; C. Nepos, Dion, 10.) The Etruscans too were acquainted with the worship of Acheron (Acheruns) from very early times, as we must infer from their Acheruntici libri, which among various other things treated on the deification of the souls, and on the sacrifices (Acheruntia sacra) by which this was to be effected. (Müller, Etrusker, 2.27, &c.) The description of the Acheron and the lower world in general in Plato's Phaedo (p. 112) is very peculiar, and not very easy to understand. [L.S]
- (V., H.), Αχέρων, a river of the lower world.—Hence, the infernal regions, V.
A´CHERON (Ἀχέρων), the name of several rivers, all of which were, at least at one time, believed to be connected with the lower world. The Acheron as a river of the lower world, is described in the Dict. of Biogr. and Myth.
1.A river of Epeirus in Thesprotia, which passed through the lake Acherusia (Ἀχερουσία λίμνη), and after receiving the river Cocytus (Κώκυτος), flowed into the Ionian sea, S. of the promontory Cheimerium. Pliny (Plin. Nat. 4.1) erroneously states that the river flowed into the Ambraciot gulf. The bay of the sea into which it flowed was usually called Glycys Limen (Γλυκὺς λιμήν) or Sweet-Harbour, because the water was fresh on account of the quantity poured into it from the lake and river. Scylax and Ptolemy call the harbour Elaea (Ἔλαια), and the surrounding district bore according to Thucydides the name of Elaeatis (Ἐλαιᾶτις). The Acheron is the modern Gurla or river of Suli, the Cocytus is the Vuvó, and the great marsh or lake below Kastrí the Acherusia. The water of the Vuvó is reported to be bad, which agrees with the account of Pausanias (Paus. 1.17.5) in relation to the water of the Cocytus (ὕδωρ ἀτερπέστατον). The Glycys Limen is called Port Fanári, 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 Glyky; 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 νεκυομαντεῖον (Hdt. 5.92.7), which was consulted by evoking the spirits of the dead. (Thuc. 1.46; Liv. 8.24; Strab. p. 324; Steph. B. s. v.;Paus. 1.17.> § 5; Dio Cass.; Scylax, p. 11; Ptolem. 3.14.5; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. 1. p. 232, seq. 4. p. 53.)
2.A river of Elis, a tributary of the Alpheius. (Strab. p. 344; Leake, Morea, vol. 2. p. 89.)
A´CHERON (Ἀχέρων), a small river in Bruttium, near Pandosia. Its name is mentioned in conjunction with that city both by Strabo and Justin, from whom we learn that it was on its banks that Alexander, king of Epirus, fell in battle against the Lucanians and Bruttians, B.C. 326. (Strab. p. 256; Justin. 12.2.) Pliny also mentions it as a river of Bruttium (3.5. s. 10.), but appears erroneously to connect it with the town of Acherontia in Lucania. It has been supposed to be a small stream, still called the Arconti, which falls into the river Crathis just below Consentia; but its identification must depend upon that of Pandosia. [PANDOSIA]
[E.H.B](Ἀχέρων). The name of several rivers, all of which were, at one time, believed to be connected with the lower world. (1) A river in Thesprotia, in Epirus, which flows through the lake Acherusia into the Ionian Sea.
(2) A river in southern Italy, in Bruttii, on which Alexander of Epirus perished.
(3) The river of the lower world round which the shades hover, and into which the Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus flow. In late writers the name of Acheron is used to designate the whole of the lower world.
- Hdt. 8.47
- river of Thesprotis: Paus. 1.17.5, Paus. 5.14.2, 3
- river of hell: Paus. 1.17.5, Paus. 10.28.1, 4
- its glen supposed to be a passage to the world of the dead: Hdt. 5.92
- Cerberus at the gates of: Apollod. 2.5.12
- Apollod. 1.5.3