River Acheron

Acheron
Acheron river near the village of Glyki.
Country	Greece
Basin features
Main source	Ioannina regional unit, Epirus
River mouth	Ionian Sea 39°14′10″N 20°28′34″E / 39.23611°N 20.47611°E / 39.23611; 20.47611Coordinates: 39°14′10″N 20°28′34″E / 39.23611°N 20.47611°E / 39.23611; 20.47611
Physical characteristics
Length	58 km (36 mi)

The Acheron (/ˈækərən/; Ancient Greek: Ἀχέρων (Acheron) or Ἀχερούσιος (Acherusius); Modern Greek: Αχέροντας (Acherontas)) is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. Its source is near the village Zotiko, in the southwestern part of the Ioannina regional unit it flows into the Ionian Sea in Ammoudia, near Parga.

In ancient Greek mythology, Acheron was known as the "river of woe", and was one of the five rivers of the Greek underworld. In the Homeric poems the Acheron was described as a river of Hades, into which Cocytus and Phlegethon both flowed.

The Roman poet Virgil called it the principal river of Tartarus, from which the Styx and Cocytus both sprang. The newly dead would be ferried across the Acheron by Charon in order to enter the Underworld.

The Suda describes the river as "a place of healing, not a place of punishment, cleansing and purging the sins of humans."