diff --git a/graph.h b/graph.h
index d62c497..dce3dfa 100644
--- a/graph.h
+++ b/graph.h
@@ -66,21 +66,21 @@ public:
   std::vector<Edge> edges() const;
 
   // iterators
-  class iterator : public std::iterator<std::forward_iterator_tag,
+  class vertex_iterator : public std::iterator<std::forward_iterator_tag,
                                         value_type,
                                         difference_type,
                                         pointer,
                                         reference>
   {
   public:
-    typedef iterator self_type;
-    typedef iterator& reference_self_type;
-    typedef const iterator& const_reference_self_type;
-
-    iterator() : m_it() {}
-    iterator(typename std::vector<Vertex>::iterator it) : m_it(it) {}
-    ~iterator() {}
-    iterator(const_reference_self_type o) : m_it(o.m_it) {}
+    typedef vertex_iterator self_type;
+    typedef vertex_iterator& reference_self_type;
+    typedef const vertex_iterator& const_reference_self_type;
+
+    vertex_iterator() : m_it() {}
+    vertex_iterator(typename std::vector<Vertex>::iterator it) : m_it(it) {}
+    ~vertex_iterator() {}
+    vertex_iterator(const_reference_self_type o) : m_it(o.m_it) {}
     reference_self_type operator=(const_reference_self_type o)
       { if (this != &o) { m_it = o.m_it; } return *this; }
 
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ public:
     typename std::vector<Vertex>::iterator m_it;
   };
 
-  iterator begin() { return iterator(m_vertices.begin()); }
-  iterator end() { return iterator(m_vertices.begin()); }
+  vertex_iterator begin() { return vertex_iterator(m_vertices.begin()); }
+  vertex_iterator end() { return vertex_iterator(m_vertices.begin()); }
 
 
 private:
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 0e74bfe..e459cb7 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ int main()
   g.addVertex(c);
   int vertices_array[] = {2, 5, 13, 1};
   std::vector<int> v(vertices_array, vertices_array + sizeof(vertices_array) / sizeof(int) );
-  Graph<int>::iterator g_it;
+  Graph<int>::vertex_iterator g_it;
   std::vector<int>::iterator v_it;
   for (g_it = g.begin(), v_it = v.begin();
        g_it != g.end();