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Acheron
is river of Epirus, springs from Paramythia’s and Souli’s mountains
and flows into the Ionian Sea. Springing at 1.600m, Acheron is crossing
Thesprotia and Preveza about 50km and ends into the Ionian Sea.
Before
Acheron’s end into the sea, it flows through the so called Canyon of
Acheron.
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Kokitos
and Pyriflegenthontas are 2 smaller rivers which end into Acheron, also the
Tsaggariotikos coming from Souli ends into Acheron. In modern history Acheron is
linked to Souli, but its mysterious caves, dark water and its course crossing
dangerous canyons made the ancient people to consider it as a passage to Hades
(Adis, Άδης).
Homer
(Omiros, Όμηρος)
describes the water of Acheron passing into the sea, as a peaceful and ideal
place, and his description is so similar to the today’s Ammoudia Bay. This Bay
was a lot deeper in the past, as Acheron is enlarging its valley into the see in
the last thousands of years.
In
mythology we find the Acheron Valley as the place where the dead people was
living. Acheron being the road where Charon was leading the souls to the
Acherousia Lake, where on its bottom was the Kingdom of Hades. For this reason
it was built, where Kokitos ends into Acheron, the greatest temple to honor the
Gods of Hades and to communicate with souls of dead people, the Nekromanteio of
Acheron.
There,
the visitors, after days of preparation, in total isolation and special diet,
could go into the subterranean rooms of Nekromanteio, to communicate with souls
of their beloved dead which could predict the future.
The
ancient tradition describes Acheron to end into Acherousia Lake, a lake
particular cold and with no trace of life around it. The Gates of Hades were
guarded by the wild Kerberos, a dog with 3 heads, and hair from snakes. Charon
was driving the souls of dead with his boat to the Under World. The price for
the journey to Hades was 1 coin, and so, the ancient Greeks used to leave 1 coin
beside their dead. The soul without the coin was cursed to remain by the river
for ever desperate, as it couldn’t pay the journey. Also to Hades lead Kokitos
and Piriflegethontas rivers, representing the pain of souls during their journey
to Under World.
As
the river, and mainly the canyon with its gates to Hades, Souli represent also
an area with great ecological and historical value. Mythology and nature make
Acheron one of the most beautiful places of our country, and surely worthy to be
visited.
visit
the acheron.gr
photo
gallery
