Achelous’s Family Tree

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Family

• Oceanus(parent),Tethys(parent),Clymene(sibling),Doris(sibling),Electra(sibling),Metis(sibling),Peneus(sibling),Perse(sibling),Philyra(sibling),Plouto(sibling),Styx(sibling),Tyche(sibling)— Marriage

  Oceanus and Tethys produced the three thousand Oceanids and river gods, including Styx, Electra, Clymene, Doris, Metis, Tyche, Perse, Plouto, Philyra, Peneus, and Achelous.

• Melpomene(spouse),Sirens(child)— Consort

  Achelous and Melpomene are the parents of the Sirens, the enchanting singers whose voices lured sailors to their deaths.

  ⚠ The Sirens' parentage varies across sources. Apollodorus names Melpomene, while other traditions substitute Terpsichore or Sterope. A separate scholiastic tradition makes them daughters of Phorcys.

• Terpsichore(spouse),Sirens(child)— Consort

  The river god Achelous and the muse Terpsichore bore the Sirens, the bird-women whose irresistible song lured sailors to their deaths on the rocky shore.

  ⚠ Apollodorus gives both Melpomene (Epitome 7.18) and Terpsichore (Bibliotheca 1.3.4) as the Sirens' mother in different passages, reflecting genuine ancient uncertainty about which Muse bore them.

Associated with

• Alcmaeon

  Achelous purified Alcmaeon of his matricide and gave him his daughter Callirrhoe in marriage. Alcmaeon settled on newly formed alluvial land at the Achelous's mouth, fulfilling the oracle's condition.

• Cornucopia

  Heracles tore off one of Achelous's horns during their wrestling match for Deianira's hand. The Naiads filled the broken horn with flowers and fruits, creating the Cornucopia.

• Deianira

  Achelous courted Deianira, terrifying her with his shape-shifting forms. She was saved when Heracles defeated Achelous in a wrestling match and won her hand instead.

• Heracles

  Heracles wrestled the river god Achelous for the hand of Deianira, breaking off his horn to win the contest.

• Oeneus

  The river god Achelous courted Oeneus's daughter Deianira. Oeneus was reluctant to accept the shape-shifting river deity as a son-in-law, and Heracles defeated Achelous in a wrestling match for her hand.