Alpheo e Aretusa

Sicily has an incredibly rich historic culture dating back to the times of the ancient Greeks and beyond. With the physical presence of Greek ruins plentiful our inspiration comes not only from these ancient temples and dwellings but equally from the magical references to the beautiful island in classical mythology. The myth of Alpheios and Arethusa links Greece and Sicily through the story of Alpheios the river god in Arcadia and his muse Arethusa. Alpheios fell in love with the beautiful nereid Arethusa as she bathed in his waters. Not wanting to indulge his mourous overtures Arethusa prayed to her protectress Artemis to hide her. Artemis wrapped her in a cloud to conceal her, Arethusa in her fear started to transpire and gradually dripped back into Alpheos’ waters. As their two liquid forms merge Artemis strikes the earth to allow Arethusa to flee through cavernous chasms under the Mediteranean sea before arriving in Syracuse in the form of a clear water spring in Ortygia, Sicily.