Home

Arethusa

Arethusa is a name used for several distinct topics in mythology, geography, botany, and literature, all linked by the idea of water and beauty.

In Greek mythology, Arethusa is a water-nymph associated with a spring near Syracuse in Sicily. One tale

In botany, Arethusa is a small genus of orchids in the family Orchidaceae, containing a single species,

In literature, the name Arethusa appears in classical poetry: the nymph Arethusa is celebrated in lyric verse

The name has also appeared in naval history, with several ships of the Royal Navy named HMS

tells
of
the
river-god
Alpheus
pursuing
her;
as
they
meet,
Arethusa’s
waters
mingle
with
his,
and
she
becomes
the
sacred
Arethusa
spring.
The
spring’s
real-world
site
in
Syracuse
and
its
mythic
associations
have
made
Arethusa
a
symbol
in
classical
poetry
and
art.
Arethusa
bulbosa.
Commonly
called
the
dragon’s-mouth
orchid,
it
is
a
terrestrial
plant
of
boggy
habitats
in
North
America,
notable
for
a
solitary
pink
to
purplish
flower
with
a
yellow,
dragon-mouth–shaped
lip.
by
Sappho,
and
the
figure
has
influenced
later
poets
who
invoked
the
image
of
a
spring-born
virgin
and
natural
beauty.
Arethusa.
These
uses
reflect
the
broader
cultural
resonance
of
Arethusa
as
a
symbol
of
fresh
water
and
mythic
charm.