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Achelous
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Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens, Greece.
From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology
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Greek:
Akheloios
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Achelous

Greek river god
Also known as: Akheloios
Written by
Kathleen Kuiper
Kathleen Kuiper was Senior Editor, Arts & Culture, Encyclopædia Britannica until 2016. She also edited Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature.
Kathleen Kuiper
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Achelous, shape-shifting Greek river god who was the personification of the Achelous River, one of the longest rivers in Greece. Achelous, who was worshipped as the god of fresh water, was chief among his 3,000 brothers, and all springs, rivers, and oceans were believed to issue from him. His father was Oceanus, and either Tethys (according to Hesiod) or Gaea (according to Alcaeus) was his mother. He famously battled with Heracles (Hercules) for the hand of Deianeira and was bested, an event often depicted on Greek pottery. He was believed to have fathered the Sirens with one of the Muses.

Kathleen Kuiper