Achelous

Achelous is a figure in ancient Greek mythology, the river god associated with the Achelous River in western Greece. As one of the major river deities, he is usually counted among the children of Oceanus and Tethys and personifies the life-giving and potentially dangerous power of freshwater. In Greek religious imagination, river gods like Achelous were regional guardians of waters, fertility, and the landscapes through which their rivers flowed.

His best-known myth involves a contest with Heracles for the hand of Deianira. Achelous is said to have taken the form of a rampant river bull to win the bride, but Heracles wrestled him and tore off one of the god’s horns. The horn was transformed into the horn of plenty, or cornucopia, an enduring symbol of abundance in Greek and later traditions. Other versions note that the horn could be restored or given to Zeus.

Achelous is also described as the father of various river-nymphs (the Acheloi) or figures associated with springs and streams, reflecting his role as a river personification. In literature and vase painting, he appears as a powerful figure sometimes depicted with horns or a bull’s head, underscoring his animal shapeshifting and his control over water.

Geographically, the Achelous River flows through central-western Greece, draining the Pindus mountains and discharging into the Ionian Sea near Missolonghi in the region of Aetolia and Acarnania. The river and its god figure prominently in local mythologies and cult practices, linking natural geography with divine personification.