| Quick Facts: | Alfeios River |
|---|---|
| Countries: | Greece |
| Source: | Taygetos Mountains |
| Mouth: | Ionian Sea |
| Length: | 113 km (70 mi) |
Alfeios River is the main stream of the Peloponnese in Greece. Its name derives from the Greek river god, Alpheus.
Alfeios rises in the Taygetos mountains and flows generally northeast for about 113 km (70 miles) before emptying into the Ionian Sea near the town of Pyrgos.
Alfeios River in mythology
In Greek mythology the Alfeios River was said to pass beneath the sea and rise again in Sicily. It was named after Alpheus, a river god who fell in love with the nymph Arethusa when she bathed in its waters.
Artemis changed her into a fountain and removed her to Syracuse, Sicily. But Alpheus pursued an underground course and emerged in Sicily to be united with the Arethusa fountain.
