#houasse

"Alpheus and Arethusa" by René-Antoine Houasse (painted in 1689 for Louis 14's Versailles). The myth of Alpheus (or Alpheios as he should be called) and Arethusa is a minor love story/transformation story of Greek mythology, which has two different versions. In the first version (the Greek version, told by Pausanias), Alpheus was a hunter who fell in love with Arethusa, a huntress. But she fled from his love - she went to the far-away island of Ortygia, and there turned into a well (or fountain). But Alpheus' love was so great that in turn he turned into a river, and its waters flowed underground just to join those of Ortygia from the mainland: thus the river Alpheios flows into the well of Arethusa. In the second version, much more well-known (and of Roman origin, told by Ovid) Alpheus was a river-god, and Arethusa a nymph : he appeared to her in human form when she took her bath in his waters, and he told her his love. But Arethusa, afraid, fled away from the lustful god who hunted her down so that she would become his lover. Arethusa in despair called upon Diana (Roman Artemis) the virgin goddess and protectress of the nymphs. Artemis took pity on Arethusa and hid her from Alpheus' view with a thick cloud. She then took her to her holy island of Ortygia, and there turned her into a sacred spring. But Alpheus' love never ceased, and so he took back his river-shape and he had his water flow underground, so as to cross the sea, and reappear on the island of Ortygia, to mix his own flow in Arethusa's.