XXXIX. Θυτηρίου
Τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐφ’ ᾧ πρῶτον οἱ θεοὶ τὴν συνωμοσίαν ἔθεντο, ὅτε ἐπὶ Κρόνον ὁ Ζεὺς ἐστράτευσεν. ἐπιτυχόντες τῆς πράξεως ἔθηκαν καὶ αὐτὸ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ εἰς μνημόσυνον· ὃ καὶ εἰς τὰ συμπόσια οἱ ἄνθρωποι φέρουσι καὶ θύουσιν οἱ κοινωνεῖν ἀλλήλοις προαιρούμενοι καὶ ὀμνύειν καὶ τῇ χειρὶ ἐφάπτονται τῇ δεξιᾷ μαρτύριον εὐγνωμοσύνης τοῦτο ἡγούμενοι.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ τῆς ἐσχαρίδος βʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς βάσεως βʹ· τοὺς πάντας δʹ.
39. Of the Altar
This is the thing on which the gods first swore their conspiracy, when Zeus campaigned against Cronus. When they had succeeded in the enterprise they set it also in heaven as a memorial; people also bring this to their banquets and sacrifice on it, those who choose to enter into partnership with one another and to swear oaths, and they lay their right hand on it, regarding this as a pledge of good faith.
It has stars: on the hearth 2, on the base 2; 4 in all.
XL. Κενταύρου
Οὗτος δοκεῖ Χείρων εἶναι ὁ ἐν τῷ Πηλίῳ οἰκήσας, δικαιοσύνῃ δὲ ὑπερενέγκας πάντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ παιδεύσας Ἀσκληπιόν τε καὶ Ἀχιλλέα· ἐφ’ ὃν Ἡρακλῆς δοκεῖ ἐλθεῖν δι’ ἔρωτα, ᾧ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἄντρῳ τιμῶν τὸν Πᾶνα. μόνον δὲ τῶν Κενταύρων οὐκ ἀνεῖλεν, ἀλλ’ ἤκουεν αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ Ἀντισθένης φησὶν ὁ Σωκρατικὸς ἐν τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ. χρόνον δὲ ἱκανὸν ὁμιλούντων αὐτῶν ἐκ τῆς φαρέτρας αὐτοῦ βέλος ἐξέπεσεν εἰς τὸν πόδα τοῦ Χείρωνος καὶ οὕτως ἀποθανόντος αὐτοῦ ὁ Ζεὺς διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὸ σύμπτωμα ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις ἔθηκεν αὐτόν. ἔστι δὲ τὸ Θηρίον ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ πλησίον τοῦ Θυτηρίου· ὃ δοκεῖ προσφέρειν θύσων, ὃ ἐστι μέγιστον σημεῖον τῆς εὐσεβείας αὐτοῦ.
Ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ὑπεράνω τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀμαυροὺς γʹ, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων τῶν ὤμων λαμπρὸν αʹ, ⟨ἐπ’⟩ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος αʹ, ⟨ἐπ’⟩ ἄκρας χειρὸς αʹ, ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ ἱππείου στήθους αʹ, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων τῶν ἐμπροσθίων ὁπλῶν αʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ ῥάχεως δʹ, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ κοιλίας βʹ ἀμαυρούς, ⟨ἐπὶ⟩ κέρκου γʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱππείου ἰσχίου αʹ λαμπρόν, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων τῶν ὀπισθίων γονάτων αʹ, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρας ὁπλῆς αʹ· τοὺς πάντας κδʹ. ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τὸ λεγόμενον Θηρίον, οὗ ποιοῦσι τὸ σχῆμα τετράγωνον. τινὲς δὲ ἀσκόν φασιν αὐτὸ εἶναι οἴνου, ἐξ οὗ σπένδει τοῖς θεοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ Θυτήριον. ἔχει δὲ αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ χειρί, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀριστερᾷ θύρσον. ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας τὸ Θηρίον ἐπὶ τῆς κέρκου βʹ, ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ὀπισθίου ποδὸς λαμπρὸν αʹ, ⟨μεταξὺ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ποδῶν αʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάχεως λαμπρὸν αʹ⟩, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐμπροσθίου ποδὸς αʹ λαμπρόν, καὶ ὑπ’ αὐτὸν αʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς γʹ· τοὺς πάντας ιʹ.
40. Of the Centaur
This one is thought to be Cheiron, who lived on Pelion, and who surpassed all human beings in justice and taught Asclepius and Achilles; Heracles is thought to have gone to him because of love, [and to have been] with him in the cave, honouring Pan. He alone of the Centaurs he did not kill, but listened to him, as Antisthenes the Socratic says in his Heracles. When they had been together for some time, an arrow from his quiver fell on Cheiron's foot, and so, when he died, Zeus, because of his piety and the misfortune, placed him among the stars. The Beast is in his hands, near the Altar; he seems to be bringing it to sacrifice, which is the greatest sign of his piety.
It has stars: above the head 3 faint ones, on each of the shoulders 1 bright one, ⟨on⟩ the left elbow 1, ⟨on⟩ the tip of the hand 1, on the middle of the horse's breast 1, on each of the front hooves 1, ⟨on⟩ the spine 4, ⟨on⟩ the belly 2 faint ones, ⟨on⟩ the tail 3, on the horse's hip 1 bright one, on each of the hind knees 1, on each hoof 1; 24 in all. He also holds in his hands the so-called Beast, whose shape they make square. Some say it is a wineskin of wine, from which he pours a libation to the gods upon the Altar. He holds it in his right hand, and in his left a thyrsus. The Beast has stars: on the tail 2, on the tip of the hind foot 1 bright one, ⟨between the two feet 1, on the spine 1 bright one⟩, on the front foot 1 bright one, and below it 1, on the head 3; 10 in all.
XLI. Ὕδρου, ἐν ᾧ Κρατὴρ καὶ Κόραξ
Τοῦτο τὸ ἄστρον κοινόν ἐστιν ἀπὸ πράξεως γεγονὸς ἐναργοῦς· τιμὴν γὰρ ἔχει ὁ κόραξ παρὰ τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι· ἑκάστῳ γὰρ τῶν θεῶν ὄρνεόν ἐστιν ἀνακείμενον· θυσίας δὲ γινομένης τοῖς θεοῖς σπονδὴν πεμφθεὶς ἐνέγκαι ἀπὸ κρήνης τινός, ἰδὼν παρὰ τὴν κρήνην συκῆν ὀλίνθους ἔχουσαν ἔμεινεν ἕως πεπανθῶσιν· μεθ’ ἱκανὰς δὲ ἡμέρας πεπανθέντων τούτων καὶ φαγὼν τῶν σύκων αἰσθόμενος τὸ ἁμάρτημα ἐξαρπάσας καὶ τὸν ἐν τῇ κρήνῃ ὕδρον ἔφερε σὺν τῷ κρατῆρι, φάσκων αὐτὸν ἐκπίνειν καθ’ ἡμέραν τὸ γιγνόμενον ἐν τῇ κρήνῃ ὕδωρ· ὁ δὲ Ἀπόλλων ἐπιγνοὺς τὰ γενόμενα τῷ μὲν κόρακι ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιτίμιον ἔθηκεν ἱκανὸν τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον διψῆν, καθάπερ Ἀριστοτέλης εἴρηκεν ἐν τοῖς περὶ θηρίων· μνημόνευμα δὲ δώσων τῆς εἰς θεοὺς ἁμαρτίας σαφές, εἰκονίσας ἐν τοῖς ἄστροις ἔθηκεν εἶναι τόν τε Ὕδρον καὶ ⟨τὸν Κρατῆρα καὶ τὸν Κόρακα⟩ μὴ δυνάμενον πιεῖν καὶ μὴ προσελθεῖν.
Ἔχουσι δ’ ἀστέρας ὁ μὲν Ὕδρος ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς κεφαλῆς γʹ λαμπρούς, ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης καμπῆς ϛʹ, λαμπρὸν δὲ αʹ τὸν ἔσχατον, ἐπὶ τῆς δευτέρας καμπῆς γʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς τρίτης δʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς τετάρτης βʹ, ἀπὸ τῆς εʹ καμπῆς μέχρι τῆς κέρκου θʹ ἀμαυρούς· τοὺς πάντας κϛʹ.
Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κέρκου ὁ Κόραξ βλέπων εἰς δυσμάς· ἔχει δ’ ἀστέρας ἐπὶ τοῦ ῥύγχους ἀμαυρὸν αʹ, ἐπὶ τῆς πτέρυγος βʹ, ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀρθοπυγίου βʹ, ἐφ’ ἑκατέρων ποδῶν ἄκρων αʹ· τοὺς πάντας ζʹ.
Τούτου δὲ ἱκανὸν ἀπέχων ἀπὸ τῆς καμπῆς ὁ Κρατὴρ κεῖται ἐγκεκλιμένος πρὸς τὰ γόνατα τῆς Παρθένου· ἔχει δὲ ἀστέρας ὁ Κρατὴρ ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους βʹ, ⟨ὑφ’ ἑκάτερα τὰ ὦτα βʹ⟩ ἀμαυρούς, ἐπὶ τὸ μέσον βʹ, καὶ παρὰ τῷ πυθμένι βʹ· τοὺς πάντας ιʹ.
41. Of the Water-Snake, on which are the Cup and the Raven
This constellation is a joint one, arising from a conspicuous action: for the Raven has honour with Apollo; every one of the gods has a bird dedicated to him. When a sacrifice was being made to the gods, he was sent to bring water for the libation from a spring, and seeing by the spring a fig-tree with unripe figs, he stayed until they were ripe; and after a good many days, when they had ripened and he had eaten of the figs, perceiving his fault, he snatched up and brought the water-snake that was in the spring, together with the cup, saying that it drank up each day the water that was in the spring. Apollo, learning what had happened, imposed on the Raven, among human beings, the penalty of being thirsty for a considerable time, as Aristotle has said in his work on animals; and, to give a clear reminder of the offence against the gods, he made images and set among the stars the Water-Snake and ⟨the Cup and the Raven⟩, which cannot drink or approach.
They have stars: the Water-Snake has on the end of the head 3 bright ones, on the first bend 6, with the last one bright, on the second bend 3, on the third 4, on the fourth 2, from the fifth bend to the tail 9 faint ones; 26 in all.
The Raven is also on the tail, looking toward the west; it has stars: on the beak 1 faint one, on the wing 2, on the rump 2, on the tip of each foot 1; 7 in all.
The Cup, at a considerable distance from the bend, lies tilted toward the knees of the Virgin; the Cup has stars: on the rim 2, ⟨below each ear 2⟩ faint ones, on the middle 2, and by the base 2; 10 in all.
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