The lakes of Rheitoi, two artificial bodies of water, originated from the confluence of streams descending from Mount Aigaleo’s western slopes into natural basins. These were isolated from the sea by dams, forming the lakes. Dam and bridge construction over the streams heading towards Eleusis Bay took place in the classical era, facilitating both pedestrian and carriage travel. Before this development, the marshy terrain likely forced the Sacred Way to navigate north of the springs, hugging the mountainside.
Serving as a border between Eleusis and Athens, the Rheitoi were a notable feature along the Sacred Way, encountered by pilgrims and travellers after passing the Daphni pass and the Apollo and Aphrodite temples. The northern lake, dedicated to Demeter, and the southern one, to Persephone (now Lake Koumoundourou), marked distinct divine territories. The latter still exists on the Aspropyrgos and Chaidari border, while the former, known as Kefalari, was filled in for refinery construction during the 20th century .
The Eleusis Archaeological Museum houses an inscription that informs us about a 421 BCE Athenian council decree for a narrow bridge, about 1.5 metres wide, built specifically for Demeter’s priests carrying the sacred objects on foot, barring vehicle access. The inscription features Athena and a young man (possibly Triptolemus or an Eleusinian personification) on one side, with Demeter and Persephone on the other. The goddess’s priests also held exclusive fishing rights in the Rheitoi, known for eels and a rich variety of fish.
The Rheitoi also witnessed a Peloponnesian War battle in 431 BCE, where a small Athenian cavalry unit clashed with Archidamus II’s Spartan forces, resulting in an Athenian defeat. The Athenians, contained within the Themistoclean Wall to avoid open conflict with the Spartans, launched a limited offensive following the Thriasian plain’s pillaging by Archidamus that devastated local agriculture.
In the 19th century, French philhellene François Pouqueville noted two mills in the area. Later, novelist Gustave Flaubert described the lakes as resembling a “flooded marsh” during his visit, indicating a gradual decline of the area. Yet, as late as the 1950s, locals reminisced about the crystal-clear, fish-abundant waters of the two lakes.
