L’ERIDANO, FIUME DELL’AMBRA TRA MITO E REALTÀ

Abstract

Eridanus, the amber river between mith and reality
The Eridanus, amber river firmly linked with the Phaethon and Heliades’ myth, had
a great fortune in both Greek and Latin literature. The long discussion between ancient
authors and modern scholars about its geographical localization conveys the meaning of
an erratic hydronym, identified since Romanization with the Po river but previously located
among Northern Europe, Hiberia, France and Karst-Istrian area. Thus, this paper
reviews the main accounts of the ancient and recent tradition of the Eridanus considering
the most recent archaeological studies, highlighting the key role of commercial and social
networks between the Eastern Mediterranean world – particularly Greece – and Europe
in the development of a complex and stratified mythological imaginary.