[Eratosthenes] · attributed to Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 276–194 BC); the transmitted text is a later epitome
Catasterismi (Constellation Myths)
ΚαταστερισμοίForty-four short chapters, one for each constellation or group: the mythic origin of the figure, a count of its stars, and sometimes variant accounts. This is the epitome that Olivieri prints as his main text (the recension of the manuscripts L, M, O, S, which he calls D), with the plain wording of the manuscripts and his supplements marked as in the Greek. Where Olivieri prints beside it the shorter recension of the Venice manuscript Marcianus 444 (R), the differences are recorded in the notes. The English is a new GreekMythology.com translation.
Contents · 11 passages
- 1–4The Bears, the Dragon and Heracles859 words
- 5–8The Crown, the Serpent-Holder, the Scorpion and the Bear-Watcher718 words
- 9–12The Virgin, the Twins, the Crab and the Lion808 words
- 13–16The Charioteer, the Bull, Cepheus and Cassiepeia1002 words
- 17–21Andromeda, the Horse, the Ram, the Triangle and the Fishes810 words
- 22–25Perseus, the Pleiad, the Lyre and the Swan889 words
- 26–29The Water-Pourer, the Goat-Horned One, the Archer and the Arrow839 words
- 30–33The Eagle, the Dolphin, Orion and the Dog956 words
- 34–38The Hare, the Argo, the Sea Monster, the River and the Fish534 words
- 39–41The Altar, the Centaur and the Water-Snake with the Cup and the Raven719 words
- 42–44The Forerunner Dog, the Planets and the Milky Way357 words
English translation by GreekMythology.com (2026). Original text: Alexander Olivieri (ed.), Pseudo-Eratosthenis Catasterismi, in Mythographi Graeci vol. III fasc. 1, Leipzig: Teubner, 1897.
Text layer: Greek text: public domain (Olivieri, 1897; our OCR correction of the Internet Archive scan mythographigrae00olivgoog). English translation © GreekMythology.com.. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.
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