Achelous. Now Astropotomo, Geromlea, and Pachicolmo.

Acheolus is a River of* Aetolia for∣merly call'd Thestius. This The∣stius was the Son of Mars and Pesi∣dice, who upon some Domestic discontent, travell'd as far as Sicyon,* where after he had resided for some time, he return'd to his Native home. But finding there his Son Calydon and his Mother both upon the Bed together, believing him to be an Adulterer, he slew his own Child by a mistake. But when he beheld the un∣fortunate and unexpected Fact he had committed, he threw himself into the River Axenos, which from thence was afterwards call'd Thestius: And after that, Achelous upon this Occasion.

Achelous the Son of Oceanus and the Nymph Nais, ha∣ving deflowr'd his Daughter Clestoria, flung himself for grief into the River Thestius, which then by his own name was call'd Achelous.

In this River grows an Herb, which they call Zaclon, very much resembling Wool, this if you bruise and cast into Wine, it becomes Water, and preserves the smell but not the Vertues of the Wine.

In the same River also is found a certain Stone of a mixt Black and Lead color, call'd Linurgus from the effect; for if you throw it upon a Linnen-cloth, by a certain effectionate Union it assumes the shape of the Linnen, and turns white, as Antisthenes relates in the Third Book of his Meleagris; though Diocles the Rhodian more accurately tells us the same thing in his Aetolics.

Nere to this River lies the Mountain Calydon, so call'd from Calydon the Son of Mars and Astigone; For that he by an accident having seen Diana bathing her Page  525 self, was transform'd into a Rock, and the Mountain which before was nam'd Gyron, was afterwards call'd Calydon.

Upon this Mountain grows an Herb call'd Myops, which if any one steep in Water, and washes his Face with it, he shall loose his sight, but upon his attoning Di∣ana, shall recover it again; as Dercyllus writes in his Third Book of Aetolics.