Greek Myths - Arethusa
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Would you rather be pursued by a river god, or be turned into a stream?
When the Greek maiden Arethusa bathed in the river Alpheus, the river god relentlessly chased after her. Rather than - hey - get out of the water, she prayed to the goddess Artemis for her protection. Artemis, rather than - hey - get her out of the water, turned her into a stream. Which didn't prove overly helpful, as Alpheus then tried to mix his waters with Arethusa's. (The cad.) So Artemis opened up a hole in the ground for Arethusa, down which she flowed, and when she rose to the earth's surface it was in Sicily. Where she became a fountain. That talked. Naturally.
When the Greek maiden Arethusa bathed in the river Alpheus, the river god relentlessly chased after her. Rather than - hey - get out of the water, she prayed to the goddess Artemis for her protection. Artemis, rather than - hey - get her out of the water, turned her into a stream. Which didn't prove overly helpful, as Alpheus then tried to mix his waters with Arethusa's. (The cad.) So Artemis opened up a hole in the ground for Arethusa, down which she flowed, and when she rose to the earth's surface it was in Sicily. Where she became a fountain. That talked. Naturally.
