I. Ἄρκτου μεγάλης
[Ἀστροθεσίαι ζῳδίων.]
Ταύτην Ἡσίοδός φησι Λυκάονος θυγατέρα ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ οἰκεῖν, ἐλέσθαι δὲ μετὰ Ἀρτέμιδος τὴν περὶ τὰς θήρας ἀγωγὴν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι ποιεῖσθαι· φθαρεῖσαν δὲ ὑπὸ Διὸς ἐμμεῖναι λανθάνουσαν τὴν θεόν· φωραθῆναι δὲ ὕστερον ἐπίτοκον ἤδη οὖσαν ὀφθεῖσαν ὑπ’ αὐτῆς λουομένην· ἐφ’ ᾧ ὀργισθεῖσαν τὴν θεὸν ἀποθηριῶσαι αὐτήν· καὶ οὕτως τεκεῖν ἄρκτον γενομένην τὸν κληθέντα Ἀρκάδα· οὖσαν δ’ ἐν τῷ ὄρει θηρευθῆναι ὑπὸ αἰπόλων τινῶν καὶ παραδοθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ βρέφους τῷ Λυκάονι· μετὰ χρόνον δέ τινα δόξαι εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ τοῦ Διὸς ἄβατον [ἱερὸν] ἀγνοήσασαν τὸν νόμον· ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ διωκομένην καὶ τῶν Ἀρκάδων, καὶ ἀναιρεῖσθαι μέλλουσαν διὰ τὸν εἰρημένον νόμον, ὁ Ζεὺς διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν αὐτὴν ἐξείλετο καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις αὐτὴν ἔθηκεν· Ἄρκτον δὲ αὐτὴν ὠνόμασε διὰ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς αὐτῇ σύμπτωμα.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ζʹ ἀμαυρούς, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων ὠτίων βʹ, ⟨ἐπ’⟩ ὠμοπλατῶν λαμπρὸν αʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ στήθους ⟨αʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἔμπροσθεν ποδὸς⟩ βʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάχεως λαμπρὸν αʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ τῆς κοιλίας λαμπρὸν αʹ⟩, ἐπὶ σκέλεσιν ὀπισθίοις βʹ, ἐπ’ ἄκρῳ τῷ ποδὶ βʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς κέρκου γʹ· τοὺς πάντας κδʹ.
1. Of the Great Bear
[Placings among the Stars of the Constellations (Astrothesiai zoidion).]
Hesiod says that she was the daughter of Lycaon and lived in Arcadia, and that she chose to take up, with Artemis, the life of the hunt in the mountains; that she was seduced by Zeus and escaped the goddess's notice; that she was found out later, when she was already about to give birth, having been seen by the goddess as she bathed; that the goddess, angered at this, turned her into a beast; and that, having become a bear, she gave birth to the child called Arcas. While she was in the mountains she was hunted down by some goatherds and handed over, together with the baby, to Lycaon. After some time she resolved [?] to enter the forbidden [sanctuary] of Zeus, not knowing the law; pursued by her own son and by the Arcadians, and about to be put to death because of the law I have mentioned, she was taken up by Zeus because of their kinship, and he set her among the stars. He named her Bear after the misfortune that had befallen her.
It has stars: on the head 7 faint ones, on each of the ears 2, ⟨on⟩ the shoulder-blades 1 bright one, on the breast ⟨1, on the front foot⟩ 2, on the spine 1 bright one, ⟨on the belly 1 bright one⟩, on the hind legs 2, on the tip of the foot 2, on the tail 3; 24 in all.
II. Ἄρκτου μικρᾶς
Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μικρὰ καλουμένη· προσηγορεύθη δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν πλείστων Φοινίκη· ἐτιμήθη δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος· γνοῦσα δὲ ὅτι ὁ Ζεὺς αὐτὴν ἔφθειρεν, ἠγρίωσεν αὐτήν· ὕστερον δὲ σεσωσμένῃ λέγεται δόξαν αὐτῇ περιθεῖναι ἀντιθεῖσαν ἕτερον εἴδωλον ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις, ὥστε δισσὰς ἔχειν τιμάς. Ἀγλαοσθένης δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ναξικοῖς φησι τροφὸν γενέσθαι τοῦ Διὸς Κυνόσουραν, εἶναι δὲ μίαν τῶν Ἰδαίων νυμφῶν· ἀφ’ ἧς ἐν μὲν τῇ πόλει τῇ καλουμένῃ Ἱστοῖς, τοὔνομα τοῦτο ἦν, ἣν οἱ περὶ Νικόστρατον ἔκτισαν, καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ [δὲ] λιμένα καὶ τὸν ἐπ’ αὐτῷ τόπον Κυνόσουραν κληθῆναι. Ἄρατος δὲ αὐτὴν καλεῖ Ἑλίκην ἐκ Κρήτης οὖσαν· γενέσθαι δὲ Διὸς τροφὸν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν οὐρανοῖς τιμῆς ἀξιωθῆναι.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ μὲν ἑκάστης γωνίας τοῦ πλινθίου λαμπρὸν αʹ, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς κέρκου λαμπροὺς γʹ, τοὺς πάντας ζʹ· ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ἡγουμένων κατώτερός ἐστιν ἄλλος ἀστήρ, ὃς καλεῖται Πόλος, περὶ ὃν δοκεῖ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος στρέφεσθαι.
2. Of the Little Bear
This is the one called the Little Bear. By most people she was named Phoenice. She was honoured by Artemis; but when the goddess learned that Zeus had seduced her, she became angry with her. Afterwards, when she had been saved, [Artemis] is said to have bestowed a reputation upon her, setting up another likeness in her place among the stars, so that she has double honours [?]. Aglaosthenes, in his Naxian History, says that Cynosura was the nurse of Zeus and was one of the nymphs of Ida; that from her, in the city called Histoi [?] (this was its name), which Nicostratus and his people founded, both the harbour in it and the place beside it were named Cynosura. Aratus calls her Helice and says that she was from Crete; that she became the nurse of Zeus and for that reason was held worthy of honour in the heavens.
It has stars: on each corner of the little square 1 bright one, on the tail 3 bright ones, 7 in all; below the second of the leading stars is another star lower down, which is called the Pole, around which the whole universe is thought to turn.
III. Δράκοντος
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μέγας τε καὶ δι’ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν Ἄρκτων κείμενος· λέγεται δὲ εἶναι ὁ τὰ χρύσεα μῆλα φυλάσσων, ὑπὸ δὲ Ἡρακλέους ἀναιρεθείς· ᾧ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις τάξις ἐδόθη δι’ Ἥραν, ἣ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰς Ἑσπερίδας φύλακα τῶν μήλων· Φερεκύδης γάρ φησιν, ὅτε ἐγαμεῖτο ἡ Ἥρα ὑπὸ Διός, φερόντων αὐτῇ τῶν θεῶν δῶρα τὴν Γῆν ἐλθεῖν φέρουσαν τὰ χρύσεα μῆλα· ἰδοῦσαν δὲ τὴν Ἥραν θαυμάσαι καὶ εἰπεῖν καταφυτεῦσαι εἰς τὸν τῶν θεῶν κῆπον, ὃς ἦν παρὰ τῷ Ἄτλαντι· ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν ἐκείνου παρθένων ἀεὶ ὑφαιρουμένων τῶν μήλων κατέστησε φύλακα τὸν ὄφιν ὑπερμεγέθη ὄντα· μέγιστον δὲ ἔχει σημεῖον· ἐπίκειται δὲ αὐτῷ Ἡρακλέους εἴδωλον, ὑπόμνημα τοῦ ἀγῶνος Διὸς θέντος ἐναργέστατον τῇ σχηματοποιίᾳ.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς λαμπροὺς γʹ, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ σώματος ἕως τῆς κέρκου ιβʹ παραπλησίους ἀλλήλοις· ⟨τοὺς πάντας ιεʹ⟩· [διεστὼς δὲ διὰ τῶν Ἄρκτων].
3. Of the Dragon
This is the one that is large and lies between both Bears. He is said to be the one who guarded the golden apples and was killed by Heracles; and a place was given to him among the stars because of Hera, who had set him as guard of the apples at the Hesperides. For Pherecydes says that when Hera was being married by Zeus, and the gods brought her gifts, Earth came bringing the golden apples; Hera, seeing them, was amazed and told her to plant them in the garden of the gods, which was beside Atlas; and as Atlas's daughters kept stealing the apples, she set the serpent, which was of enormous size, as guard. It has a very great sign: upon it lies a likeness of Heracles, a reminder of the contest which Zeus established, most vivid in the shape of the figure.
It has stars: on the head 3 bright ones, on the body as far as the tail 12 similar to one another; ⟨15 in all⟩; [and it stretches between the Bears].
IV. Τοῦ ἐν γόνασιν
Οὗτος, φασίν, Ἡρακλῆς ἐστιν ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ὄφεως βεβηκώς· ἐναργῶς δὲ ἕστηκε τό τε ῥόπαλον ἀνατετακὼς καὶ τὴν λεοντῆν περιειλημένος· λέγεται δέ, ὅτε ἐπὶ τὰ χρύσεα μῆλα ἐπορεύθη, τὸν ὄφιν τὸν τεταγμένον φύλακα ἀνελεῖν· ἦν δὲ ὑπὸ Ἥρας δι’ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τεταγμένος ὅπως ἀνταγωνίσηται τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ· ὅθεν ἐπιτελεσθέντος τοῦ ἔργου μετὰ ⟨μεγίστου⟩ κινδύνου ἄξιον ὁ Ζεὺς κρίνας τὸν ἆθλον μνήμης ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις ἔθηκε τὸ εἴδωλον· ἔστι δὲ ὁ μὲν ὄφις μετέωρον ἔχων τὴν κεφαλήν, ὁ δ’ ἐπιβεβηκὼς αὐτῷ καθεικὼς τὸ ἓν γόνυ, τῷ δ’ ἑτέρῳ ποδὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπιβαίνων, τὴν δὲ δεξιὰν χεῖρα ἐκτείνων, ἐν ᾗ τὸ ῥόπαλον, ὡς παίσων, τῇ δ’ εὐωνύμῳ χειρὶ τὴν λεοντῆν περιβεβλημένος.
Ἔχει δ’ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς λαμπρὸν αʹ, ἐπὶ βραχίονος δεξιοῦ λαμπρὸν αʹ, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων ὤμων λαμπρὸν αʹ, ⟨ἐπ’ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος αʹ, ἐπ’⟩ ἄκρας χειρὸς αʹ, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρας λαγόνος αʹ, λαμπρότερον δὲ τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ δεξιοῦ μηροῦ βʹ, ἐπὶ γόνατος καμπῆς αʹ, ἐπὶ κνήμης βʹ, ἐπὶ ποδὸς αʹ, ὑπὲρ τὴν δεξιὰν χεῖρα αʹ, ὃς καλεῖται Ῥόπαλον, ἐπὶ τῆς λεοντῆς δʹ· τοὺς πάντας ιθʹ.
4. Of the One on His Knees
This, they say, is Heracles, who is standing upon the Serpent. He stands clearly with his club raised and the lion-skin wrapped round him. It is said that when he went to the golden apples he killed the serpent which had been appointed guard; and it had been appointed by Hera for this very purpose, to fight against Heracles. Hence, when the task was completed with ⟨the greatest⟩ danger, Zeus, judging the labour worthy of remembrance, set the image among the stars. The serpent is shown with its head raised; the one who stands on it has one knee bent, and with his other foot treads on the head, stretching out his right hand, in which is the club, as if about to strike, with the lion-skin wrapped about his left arm.
It has stars: on the head 1 bright one, on the right upper arm 1 bright one, on each of the shoulders 1 bright one, ⟨on the left elbow 1, on⟩ the tip of the hand 1, on each flank 1 (the one on the left brighter), ⟨on⟩ the right thigh 2, on the bend of the knee 1, on the shin 2, on the foot 1, above the right hand 1, which is called the Club, on the lion-skin 4; 19 in all.
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