Constellations

HERACLES - The great hero. He was the strongest and bravest man on earth. He killed many monsters , some of whom asdo became constellations such as Cancer, Draco, Hydra,

and Leo.

Canis major - Great Dog

He is one of the two faithful hunting dogs of

Orion the hunter. The dogs and the hare, Lepus, were placed in

the sky after Orion was accidentally

killed by Artemis.

Orion - the Hunter A giant hunter who was set amongst the stars as the constellation Orion. Some say he chased Lepus, the hare, across the heavens with his dog, the constellation Canis.

Cygnus - the Swan Aeus, the king of the gods, sometimes disguised himself as a swan.

Boötes - the Herdsman Bootes was pictured as a mighty man. In his right hand he holds a spear, and with his left, two hunting dogs. he chases the Great Bear(Ursa Major) and Little Bear (Ursa Minor) around the sky. Bootes was called “The Bear Driver.”

Ursa Major - the Great BearWhen Zeus fell in love with Callisto, his jealous wife changed Callisto into a bear. Zeus threw both mother and son into the sky as the Big and Little Bears. The way Zeus got the bears into the sky explains why their tails are so long, since Zeus grabbed them by their tails and swung them around over his headand finally flung them into the sky, and that is why these two bears have long tails!

Pegasus sprang from the spilled blood of the Medusa, which dripped into the ocean after she was slain by Perseus. This is the winged horse that Perseus was riding when he saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus.

Pegasus - the Flying Horse

Hydra ( the Sea Serpent). A many-headed monster killed by Hercules. Hydra is the largest constellation in the sky.

Orion• ORION A giant hunter

who was set amongst the stars as the constellation Orion. Some say he chased Lepus, the hare, across the heavens with his dog, the constellation Canis, others that he was in pursuit of Taurus the bull, or even chasing after the seven beautiful Pleiad nymphs.

DRAGON The huge serpent which guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides. After the beast was slain by Heracles, Hera placed it amongst the stars as Draco.

Draco

Taurus (the Bull)

• BULL ZEUS When the Phoenician princess Europa was playing by the sea shore, Zeus approached her in the guise of a bull and, tempting her to climb onto his back, carried her away to the island of Crete.

KING LION

• KING LION The lion, king of all the beasts, was set amongst the stars as the constellation Leo in recognition of his supremacy.

HERACLES DRAGON-SLAYER

• HERACLES DRAGON-SLAYER The great hero was placed amongst the stars in the form of a kneeling man with his club poised to strike the Hesperian dragon, the constellation Draco.

PERSEUS

• PERSEUS An Argive hero, the son of Zeus and Danae. When he was returning on his quest for the Gorgon's head, he spied the Ethiopian princess Andromeda chained to the rocks as sacrifice to a sea-monster. Perseus slew the beast and saved the girl. In memorial of the event Athena placed Perseus, Andromeda, Cepheus and Cassiopea (the girl's parents) and Cetus (the Sea Monster) amongst the stars.

LYRE OF ORPHEUS

• LYRE OF ORPHEUS The lyre of the great bard Orpheus, who could charm animals, trees and rocks with his music.

PISCES - FISH

• FISHES OF APHRODITE When the monster Typhon attacked Olympus, the gods fled in a body to the south. Aphrodite and her son Eros reached the river Eridanus where they threw themselves in the water and hid in the guise of fish. In memory of the event a pair of fish were set amongst the stars as the constellation Pisces.

Scales of Justice

• SCALES OF JUSTICE The scales of Astraea, the goddess of justice, were placed beside her in the heavens as the constellation Libra. Astraea herself was Virgo.

Gemini• DIOSCURI Twin sons of Zeus,

named Castor and Polydeuces. The pair were famed horsemen who were transferred to the heavens at death to form the constellation Gemini.