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Achelous - III

Corner eaves tile with Achelous’ head.

Achelous was the god of the river Achelous in Acarnania in western Greece, to-day called Aspropotamos, which was the greatest, and according to tradition, the most ancient among the rivers of Greece. He with 3000 brother-rivers is described as a son of Oceanus and Thetys (Hes. Theog. 340), or of Oceanus and Gaea, or lastly of Helios and Gaea. He was animated in various animal and human guises in literature and was usually rendered

as a bull with a human face in art.

Achelous was a competitor with Heracles in the suit for Deianeira (Sophocles, Trachiniae 507–30), and fought with him for the bride

 

Clay molded protome

End IV - Beginning of III century BC

From “Villa dell’Auditorium”, Rome

Rome, Auditorium, Archaeological Museum

Exhibition “Monsters”

Roma, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme

 

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Uploaded on April 19, 2014
Taken on January 31, 2014