XXXIV. Λαγωοῦ
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν τῇ καλουμένῃ κυνηγίᾳ εὑρεθείς· διὰ δὲ τὴν ταχυτῆτα τοῦ ζῴου ὁ Ἑρμῆς δοκεῖ θεῖναι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις· μόνον δὲ τῶν τετραπόδων δοκεῖ κύειν πλείονα, ὧν τὰ μὲν κύει τὰ δ’ ἔχει ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ, καθάπερ Ἀριστοτέλης ὁ φιλόσοφος λέγει ἐν τῇ περὶ τῶν ζῴων πραγματείᾳ.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων ὠτίων αʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος γʹ, ὧν ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάχεως λαμπρός, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων ὀπισθίων ποδῶν αʹ· ⟨τοὺς πάντας ζʹ⟩.
34. Of the Hare
This is the one found in what is called the hunt; because of the speed of the creature Hermes is thought to have placed it among the stars; and it alone of four-footed animals is thought to conceive while already pregnant, some of its young being conceived while others are already in the womb, as Aristotle the philosopher says in his treatise on animals.
It has stars: on each ear 1, on the body 3, of which the one on the spine is bright, on each hind foot 1; ⟨7 in all⟩.
XXXV. Ἀργοῦς
Αὕτη διὰ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις ἐτάχθη, πρώτη γὰρ αὕτη ναῦς κατεσκευάσθη [καὶ ἀρχῆθεν ἐτεκτονήθη], φωνήεσσα δὲ γενομένη πρώτη τὸ πέλαγος διεῖλεν ἄβατον ὄν, ἵν’ ᾖ τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις παράδειγμα σαφέστατον. εἰς δὲ τὰ ἄστρα ἀνετέθη τὸ εἴδωλον οὐχ ὅλον αὐτῆς, οἱ δ’ οἰακές εἰσιν ἕως τοῦ ἱστοῦ σὺν τοῖς πηδαλίοις, ὅπως ὁρῶντες οἱ τῇ ναυτιλίᾳ χρώμενοι θαρρῶσιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐργασίᾳ, αὐτῆς τε ἡ δόξα ἀγήρατος διαμείνῃ οὔσης ἐν τοῖς θεοῖς.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ τῆς πρύμνης δʹ, ἐφ’ ἑνὶ πηδαλίῳ εʹ, καὶ ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ τῷ ἑτέρῳ δʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ στυλίδος ἄκρας γʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ καταστρώματι εʹ, ὑπὸ τρόπιν ϛʹ, παραπλησίους ἀλλήλοις· ⟨τοὺς πάντας κϛʹ⟩.
35. Of the Argo
This ship was placed among the stars because of Athena; for it was the first ship to be built [and was built from the beginning], and, being the first to speak with a voice, it cut a passage across the sea, which was impassable, so that it might be a very clear example for those who came after. In the stars was set up an image not of the whole of it; the steering oars are there, as far as the mast, with the rudders, so that those who use the sea, seeing it, may be confident in their work, and its fame among the gods may endure unaging.
It has stars: on the stern 4, on one rudder 5, and ⟨on⟩ the other 4, ⟨on⟩ the tip of the stern-post 3, ⟨on⟩ the deck 5, under the keel 6, similar to one another; ⟨26 in all⟩.
XXXVI. Κήτους
Τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ Ποσειδῶν ἐπέπεμψε Κηφεῖ διὰ τὸ Κασσιέπειαν ἐρίσαι περὶ κάλλους ταῖς Νηρηίσιν. Περσεὺς δ’ αὐτὸ ἀνεῖλε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰς τὰ ἄστρα ἐτέθη ὑπόμνημα τῆς πράξεως αὐτοῦ· ἱστορεῖ δὲ ταῦτα Σοφοκλῆς ὁ τῶν τραγῳδιῶν ποιητὴς ἐν τῇ Ἀνδρομέδᾳ.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ τοῦ οὐραίου βʹ λαμπρούς, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς οὐρᾶς ἕως τοῦ κυρτώματος τοῦ κενεῶνος εʹ, ὑπὸ τὴν κοιλίαν ϛʹ· τοὺς πάντας ιγʹ.
36. Of the Sea Monster
This is what Poseidon sent against Cepheus because Cassiepeia had contended with the Nereids over beauty. Perseus killed it, and for this reason it was placed among the stars as a reminder of his deed. Sophocles the tragic poet tells this in the Andromeda.
It has stars: on the tail-fin 2 bright ones, from the tail to the curve of the flank 5, below the belly 6; 13 in all.
XXXVII. Ποταμοῦ
Οὗτος ἐκ τοῦ ποδὸς τοῦ Ὠρίωνος τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει· καλεῖται δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὸν Ἄρατον Ἠριδανός· οὐδεμίαν δὲ ἀπόδειξιν περὶ αὐτοῦ φέρει· ἕτεροι δέ φασι δικαιότατον αὐτὸν εἶναι Νεῖλον· μόνος γὰρ οὗτος ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχει. πολλοῖς δὲ ἄστροις διακεκόσμηται. ὑπόκειται δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ καλούμενος ἀστὴρ Κάνωβος, ὃς ἐγγίζει τῶν πηδαλίων τῆς Ἀργοῦς· τούτου δὲ οὐδὲν ἄστρον κατώτερον φαίνεται, διὸ καὶ Περίγειος καλεῖται.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας [ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αʹ,] ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ καμπῇ γʹ, ἐπὶ τῇ δευτέρᾳ γʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς τρίτης ἕως τῶν ἐσχάτων ζʹ, ἃ φασιν εἶναι τὰ στόματα τοῦ Νείλου· τοὺς πάντας ιγʹ.
37. Of the River
This one has its source at the left foot of Orion; according to Aratus it is called Eridanus, though he gives no proof of this. Others say that it is most properly the Nile; for this alone has its sources in the south. It is adorned with many stars. Below it lies also the star called Canopus, which is near the rudders of the Argo; no star is seen lower than this, and so it is also called Perigeios (Near-the-Earth).
It has stars: [on the head 1,] on the first bend 3, on the second 3, on the third as far as the extremity 7, which they say are the mouths of the Nile; 13 in all.
XXXVIII. Ἰχθύος
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μέγας καλούμενος Ἰχθύς, ὃν κάμπτειν λέγουσι τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς τοῦ Ὑδροχόου ἐκχύσεως· ἱστορεῖται δὲ περὶ τούτου, ὥς φησι Κτησίας, εἶναι πρότερον ἐν λίμνῃ τινὶ κατὰ τὴν Βαμβύκην· ἐμπεσούσης δὲ τῆς Δερκετοῦς νυκτός, ἣν οἱ περὶ τοὺς τόπους οἰκοῦντες Συρίαν θεὸν ὠνόμασαν, ⟨τοῦτον σῶσαι αὐτήν⟩. τούτου καὶ τοὺς δύο φασὶν Ἰχθύας ἐγγόνους εἶναι, οὓς πάντας ἐτίμησαν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις ἔθηκαν.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ιβʹ, ὧν τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ ῥύγχους λαμπροὺς γʹ.
38. Of the Fish
This is the great Fish, which they say gulps [?] the water of the Water-Pourer's outpouring. It is related of him, as Ctesias says, that he was formerly in a lake near Bambyce; and when Derceto fell in during the night, whom the people living in that region named the Syrian goddess, ⟨he saved her⟩. They say that the two Fishes are his descendants, and all of them they honoured and placed among the stars.
It has 12 stars, of which the three on the snout are bright.
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