Telphusa

Telphusa, also rendered Telphousa, is a name found in ancient Greek literature that can refer to both a mythological figure and several geographical places in the Greek world. The most clearly attested sense is as a spring-associated nymph.

In mythology, Telphusa is described as a water-nymph connected with a sacred spring. As a minor divine figure, she is characterized by her role as guardian of the spring’s waters and, in some accounts, as a source of local guidance or information for mortals who consult her spring. Stories about Telphusa are not central to major myth cycles, and details vary among sources, reflecting the broader Greek pattern of localized cults and personifications of natural features.

Geographically, Telphusa was also used as a toponym for at least one ancient place and its spring or sanctuary. The exact location is the subject of scholarly discussion, with references appearing in classical geographic and literary works that place the site in central Greece, notably in regions such as Boeotia. Due to limited corroborating evidence, precise identifications and the extent of the site’s importance remain uncertain, and Telphusa is generally treated as a minor locality rather than a major political or religious center.

In modern scholarship, Telphusa is encountered in discussions of Greek springs, cults of nymphs, and the broader study of ancient toponyms. The name illustrates how mythic figures and geographic names could intertwine in the ancient Greek world, reflecting the permeability between sacred waters and place-n names.