XXX. Ἀετοῦ
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Γανυμήδην ἀνακομίσας εἰς οὐρανὸν τῷ Διί, ὅπως ἔχῃ οἰνοχόον. ἔστι δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις, δι’ ὅσον καὶ πρότερον, ὅτε οἱ θεοὶ τὰ πτηνὰ διεμερίζοντο, τοῦτον ἔλαχεν ὁ Ζεύς. μόνον δὲ τῶν ζῴων ἀνθήλιον ἵπταται ταῖς ἀκτῖσιν οὐ ταπεινούμενον· ἔχει δὲ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἁπάντων· ἐσχημάτισται δὲ διαπεπταμένος τὰς πτέρυγας ὡς ἂν καθιπτάμενος. Ἀγλαοσθένης δέ φησιν ἐν τοῖς Ναξικοῖς γενόμενον τὸν Δία ἐν Κρήτῃ καὶ κατὰ κράτος ζητούμενον, δὶς ἐκκλαπέντα, ἐκεῖθεν ἐκκλαπῆναι καὶ ἀχθῆναι εἰς Νάξον, ἐκτραφέντα δὲ καὶ γενόμενον ἐν ἡλικίᾳ τὴν τῶν θεῶν βασιλείαν κατασχεῖν· ἐξορμῶντος δὲ ἐκ τῆς Νάξου ἐπὶ τοὺς Τιτᾶνας καὶ ἀετὸν αὐτῷ φανῆναι συνιόντα, τὸν δὲ οἰωνισάμενον ἱερὸν αὐτοῦ ποιήσασθαι [κατηστερισμένον] καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς ἐν οὐρανῷ τιμῆς ἀξιωθῆναι.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας δʹ, ὧν ὁ μέσος ἐστὶ λαμπρός.
30. Of the Eagle
This is the one that carried Ganymede up to heaven for Zeus, so that he might have a cupbearer. It is among the stars for the reason that, even before, when the gods divided up the winged creatures, Zeus took this one as his lot. It alone of living creatures flies facing the sun, not lowering itself before the rays; and it has the leadership of them all. It is shaped with wings outspread, as if swooping down. Aglaosthenes says in his Naxian History that Zeus, born in Crete and sought for with force, was twice stolen away, was thence stolen away and brought to Naxos, and, brought up and come of age, took the kingship of the gods; and as he set out from Naxos against the Titans an eagle appeared to him, coming to meet him; taking it as an omen, he made it sacred [and made it a star]; and for this reason it was held worthy of honour in heaven.
It has 4 stars, of which the middle one is bright.
XXXI. Δελφῖνος
Οὗτος ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις λέγεται τεθῆναι δι’ αἰτίαν τοιαύτην. τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος βουλομένου τὴν Ἀμφιτρίτην λαβεῖν [εἰς] γυναῖκα, εὐλαβηθεῖσα ἐκείνη ἔφυγε πρὸς τὸν Ἄτλαντα, διατηρῆσαι τὴν παρθενίαν σπεύδουσα. ὡς δὲ καὶ αἱ πλεῖσται Νηρηίδες ἐκρύπτοντο κεκρυμμένης ἐκείνης, πολλοὺς ὁ Ποσειδῶν ἐξέπεμψε μαστῆρας, ἐν οἷς καὶ τὸν δελφῖνα· πλανώμενος δὲ κατὰ τὰς νήσους τοῦ Ἄτλαντος, περιπεσὼν αὐτῇ προσαγγέλλει καὶ ἄγει πρὸς Ποσειδῶνα· ὁ δὲ γήμας αὐτὴν μεγίστας τιμὰς ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ αὐτῷ ὥρισεν, ἱερὸν αὐτὸν ὀνομάσας εἶναι καὶ εἰς τὰ ἄστρα αὐτοῦ σύστημα ἔθηκεν. ὅσοι δ’ ἂν αὐτῷ τῷ Ποσειδῶνι χαρίσασθαι θέλωσιν, ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ποιοῦσιν ἔχοντα τὸν δελφῖνα τῆς εὐεργεσίας μεγίστην δόξαν αὐτῷ ἀπονέμοντες. λέγει δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Ἀρτεμίδωρος ἐν ταῖς ἐλεγείαις ταῖς περὶ Ἔρωτος αὐτῷ πεποιημέναις [βίβλοις].
Ἔχει δ’ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος αʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς λοφίας βʹ, ἐπὶ τῶν πρὸς τῇ κοιλίᾳ πτερύγων γʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ νώτου αʹ, ⟨ἐπ’⟩ οὐρᾶς βʹ· τοὺς πάντας θʹ. λέγεται δὲ καὶ φιλόμουσον εἶναι τὸ ζῷον διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν Μουσῶν τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἔχειν τῶν ἀστέρων.
31. Of the Dolphin
This one is said to have been set among the stars for the following reason. When Poseidon wanted to take Amphitrite as his wife, she was frightened and fled to Atlas, intent on preserving her virginity. As she and most of the Nereids were hiding, Poseidon sent out many searchers, among them the dolphin; wandering among the islands of Atlas, it came upon her, reported it and led her to Poseidon; he married her, assigned the dolphin very great honours in the sea, called it sacred, and placed a group of stars of it in the heavens. Those who wish to please Poseidon himself make [a statue of him] holding the dolphin in his hand, giving the dolphin the greatest credit for the kindness. Artemidorus too speaks of it in the elegies about Eros composed by him [books].
It has stars: on the mouth 1, on the crest 2, on the fins near the belly 3, ⟨on⟩ the back 1, ⟨on⟩ the tail 2; 9 in all. The creature is also said to be fond of the Muses, because it has the number of stars from the Muses.
XXXII. Ὠρίωνος
Τοῦτον Ἡσίοδός φησιν Εὐρυάλης τῆς Μίνωος καὶ Ποσειδῶνος εἶναι, δοθῆναι δὲ αὐτῷ δωρεὰν ὥστε ἐπὶ τῶν κυμάτων πορεύεσθαι καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ἐλθόντα δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς Χίον Μερόπην τὴν Οἰνοπίωνος βιάσασθαι οἰνωθέντα, γνόντα δὲ τὸν Οἰνοπίωνα καὶ χαλεπῶς ἐνεγκόντα τὴν ὕβριν ἐκτυφλῶσαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἐκβαλεῖν· ἐλθόντα δὲ εἰς Λῆμνον ἀλητεύοντα Ἡφαίστῳ συμμῖξαι, ὃς αὐτὸν ἐλεήσας δίδωσιν αὐτῷ Κηδαλίωνα τὸν αὐτοῦ [οἰκεῖον] οἰκέτην, ὅπως ὁδηγῇ [καὶ ἡγῆται αὐτοῦ]· ὃν λαβὼν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἔφερε σημαίνοντα τὰς ὁδούς· ἐλθὼν δ’ ἐπὶ τὰς ἀνατολὰς καὶ Ἡλίῳ συμμίξας δοκεῖ ὑγιασθῆναι καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸν Οἰνοπίωνα ἐλθεῖν πάλιν, τιμωρίαν αὐτῷ ἐπιθήσων· ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτῶν ὑπὸ γῆν ἐκέκρυπτο. ἀπελπίσας δὲ τὴν ἐκείνου ζήτησιν ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Κρήτην καὶ περὶ τὰς θήρας διῆγε κυνηγετῶν τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος παρούσης καὶ τῆς Λητοῦς, καὶ δοκεῖ ἀπειλήσασθαι ὡς πᾶν θηρίον ἀνελεῖν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γιγνομένων· θυμωθεῖσα δὲ αὐτῷ ⟨ἡ⟩ Γῆ ἀνῆκε σκορπίον εὐμεγέθη, ὑφ’ οὗ τῷ κέντρῳ πληγεὶς ἀπώλετο· ὅθεν διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀνδρίαν ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις αὐτὸν ἔθηκεν ὁ Ζεὺς ὑπὸ Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Λητοῦς ἀξιωθείς, ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ θηρίον τοῦ εἶναι μνημόσυνον [καὶ] τῆς πράξεως. ἄλλοι δέ φασιν αὐξηθέντα τοῦτον ἐρασθῆναι τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος, τὴν δὲ τὸν σκορπίον ἀνενεγκεῖν κατ’ αὐτοῦ, ὑφ’ οὗ κρουσθέντα ἀποθανεῖν, τοὺς δὲ θεοὺς ἐλεήσαντας αὐτὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ καταστερίσαι καὶ τὸ θηρίον εἰς μνημόσυνον τῆς πράξεως.
Ἔχει δ’ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς γʹ ἀμαυρούς, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρῳ ὤμῳ λαμπρὸν αʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἀγκῶνος ⟨ὁμοίως ἀμαυρὸν⟩ αʹ, ἐπ’ ἄκρας χειρὸς ⟨ὁμοίως ἀμαυρὸν⟩ αʹ [ἀμαυροὺς βʹ], ἐπὶ τῆς ζώνης γʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐγχειριδίου γʹ λαμπρούς, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρῳ γόνατι λαμπρὸν αʹ, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρῳ ποδὶ ὁμοίως λαμπρὸν αʹ· ⟨τοὺς πάντας ιϛʹ⟩.
32. Of Orion
Hesiod says that this one is the son of Euryale, daughter of Minos, and of Poseidon, and that he was given as a gift the power to walk on the waves as on land. Coming to Chios, he assaulted Merope, the daughter of Oenopion, when drunk; and Oenopion, learning of it and taking the outrage badly, blinded him and drove him from the country. Coming to Lemnos as a wanderer, he met Hephaestus, who took pity on him and gave him Cedalion, his own [kinsman] servant, to guide him; taking him on his shoulders he went with him, who showed the roads; and coming to the east and meeting the Sun he is thought to have been healed, and so to have gone back to Oenopion to punish him; but he had been hidden underground by the citizens. Giving up the search for him, he went to Crete and spent his time hunting, with Artemis and Leto present; and he is thought to have threatened that he would kill every wild animal on earth; Earth, angry with him, sent up a huge scorpion, struck by whose sting he died; hence Zeus, because of his manliness, placed him among the stars, Artemis and Leto having honoured him, and likewise the beast, to be a memorial of the deed. Others say that when he had grown up he fell in love with Artemis, and that she sent the scorpion against him, struck by which he died, and that the gods took pity on him and placed him in the sky, and the beast also as a memorial of the deed.
It has stars: on the head 3 faint ones, on each shoulder 1 bright one, on the right elbow ⟨likewise 1 faint one⟩, on the tip of the hand ⟨likewise 1 faint one⟩ [2 faint ones], on the belt 3, on the dagger 3 bright ones, on each knee 1 bright one, on each foot likewise 1 bright one; ⟨16 in all⟩.
XXXIII. Κυνός
Περὶ τούτου ἱστορεῖται ὅτι ἐστὶν ὁ δοθεὶς Εὐρώπῃ φύλαξ μετὰ τοῦ ἄκοντος· ἀμφότερα δὲ ταῦτα Μίνως ἔλαβε καὶ ὕστερον ὑπὸ Πρόκριδος ὑγιασθεὶς ἐκ νόσου ἐδωρήσατο αὐτῇ, μετὰ δὲ χρόνον Κέφαλος ἀμφοτέρων αὐτῶν ἐκράτησε διὰ τὸ εἶναι Πρόκριδος ἀνήρ· ἦλθε δὲ εἰς τὰς Θήβας ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλώπεκα ἄγων αὐτόν, εἰς ἣν λόγιον ἦν ὑπὸ μηδενὸς ἁλῶναι· οὐκ ἔχων οὖν ὃ τι ποιήσαι ὁ Ζεὺς τὴν μὲν ἀπελίθωσε, τὸν δὲ εἰς τὰ ἄστρα ἀνήγαγεν ἄξιον κρίνας. ἕτεροι δέ φασιν αὐτὸν εἶναι κύνα Ὠρίωνος καὶ περὶ τὰς θήρας γινομένῳ συνέπεσθαι, καθάπερ καὶ τοῖς κυνηγετοῦσι πᾶσι τὸ ζῷον συναμύνασθαι δοκεῖ τὰ θηρία· ἀναχθῆναι δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς τὰ ἄστρα κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ὠρίωνος ἀναγωγήν, καὶ τοῦτον εἰκότως γεγονότος διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἀπολείπειν τῶν συμβεβηκότων Ὠρίωνι.
Ἔχει δ’ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς [ἢ γλώττης] αʹ ⟨ὃς Ἶσις καλεῖται⟩, ὃν καὶ Σείριον καλοῦσι· μέγας δ’ ἐστὶ καὶ λαμπρός· τοὺς δὲ τοιούτους ἀστέρας οἱ ἀστρολόγοι Σειρίους καλοῦσι διὰ τὴν τῆς φλογὸς κίνησιν· ⟨ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς γλώττης αʹ λαμπρόν, ὃς Κύων καλεῖται, ἐπὶ τοῦ τραχήλου βʹ⟩, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρῳ ὤμῳ αʹ ἀμαυρόν, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ στήθους βʹ, ἐπ’ ἐμπροσθίου ποδὸς γʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάχεως γʹ, ἐπὶ⟩ κοιλίας βʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἰσχίου αʹ, ⟨ἐπ’⟩ ἄκρῳ ποδὶ αʹ, ἐπὶ δεξιοῦ ποδὸς αʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ κέρκου αʹ, τοὺς πάντας κʹ.
33. Of the Dog
It is said of this one that he is the dog given to Europa as a guard, together with the javelin; Minos received both of these, and afterwards, healed of a sickness by Procris, gave them to her; and after a time Cephalus took possession of both of them, since he was Procris's husband; and he came to Thebes with the dog, in pursuit of the fox, which it was fated should be caught by no one; Zeus, not knowing what to do, turned the one to stone, and led the other up to the stars, judging him worthy. Others say that he is Orion's dog, and that he accompanies him when he is hunting, as indeed the creature seems to help all hunters against the animals; and that he was taken up to the stars at Orion's translation, and naturally so, since he left out none of Orion's circumstances.
It has stars: on the head [or the tongue] 1 ⟨which is called Isis⟩, which they also call Sirius; it is large and bright; astronomers call such stars Seirioi because of the quivering of their fire; ⟨on the tongue 1 bright one, which is called the Dog; on the neck 2⟩, on each shoulder 1 faint one, ⟨on⟩ the breast 2, on the front foot 3, ⟨on the spine 3, on⟩ the belly 2, on the left hip 1, ⟨on⟩ the tip of the foot 1, on the right foot 1, ⟨on⟩ the tail 1; 20 in all.
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