The spring of Arethusa
In close proximity to the industrial part of Chalcis, the New Archaeological Museum and the Kamares Aqueduct there is a small, inconspicuous body of water called the Spring of Arethusa.
Let me explain at the outset that this study is the result of a long and thorough research process. Unfortunately, the reports are scarce and, worse still, mutually exclusive.
It turns out that there are two Springs of Arethusa which are associated with one and the same mythological story:
- in Ortygia, in Sicily, Italy, and
- in Chalcis, the capital of Euboea.
Which is correct? Most sources/information support the Italian location. However, I found a publication in which the author claims that it was here, in Chalcis, Greece, that the nymph transformed into a small spring of water. This diagnosis is supported by the fact that the New Archaeological Museum adopted the name Arethusa.
Arethusa, according to Greek mythology, was a womanlike, beautiful nymph of springs and forests. She was also Artemis's companion on hunts and fishing trips. She lived in Arcadia, in the Peloponnese.
Alpheus, the river god, fell in love with Arethusa.
Artemis helped the nymph, whose feelings were unrequited, hide from her admirer. She chose the outskirts of ancient Chalcis on the island of Euboea as her hiding place. Here, she had a sanctuary, allowing her to gaze upon her protégé.
To make it more difficult for the suitor to find Arethusa, Artemis turned the nymph into a spring of fresh water.
Alpheus wasn't easily deterred. Hidden in an underground freshwater canal, he followed his chosen one. He emerged from the earth as a karst spring of freshwater, resulting from a rise in the groundwater table.
It emerged in exactly the same place where Arethusa surfaced.
It seems that neither running away nor transforming into water helped the nymph escape Alpheus.
Today's source is the result of combining both heroes of the myth.
The small pond is neither well-maintained nor beautifully situated. The heavy traffic on the ring road makes it exceptionally noisy, and the air is filled with exhaust fumes. However, it's worth a visit while visiting the New Archaeological Museum.
Important:
An almost imperceptible wall rises from the Arethusa Spring. It is a remnant of the ancient city walls.
Worth knowing:
The Alphios (Alpheus) River flows from the northern slope of the Taygetus Mountains in Greece. It is intersected by underground channels before finally flowing into the Ionian Sea. This fact is linked to mythology, according to which Alpheus, pursuing his beloved, hid underground, but surfaced periodically to check whether he was flowing in the right direction.