Constellation Myths : With Aratus's Phaenomena, Paperback by Eratosthenes; Hyginus; Aratus; Hard, Robin (TRN), ISBN 0198716982, ISBN-13 9780198716983, Used Good Condition, Free shipping in the US

<strong>"Athena seized the writhing serpent and hurled it into the sky, and fixed it to the very pole of the heavens."</strong><br> <br>The constellations we recognize today were first mapped by the ancient Greeks, who arranged the stars into patterns for that purpose. In the third century BC Eratosthenes compiled a handbook of astral mythology in which the constellations were associated with figures from legend, and myths were<br>provided to explain how each person, creature, or object came to be placed in the sky. Thus we can see Heracles killing the Dragon, and Perseus slaying the sea-monster to save Andromeda; Orion chases the seven maidens transformed by Zeus into the Pleiades, and Aries, the golden ram, is identified<br>flying up to the heavens.<br> <br>This translation brings together the later summaries from Eratosthenes's lost handbook with a guide to astronomy compiled by Hyginus, librarian to Augustus. Together with Aratus's astronomical poem the <em>Phaenomena</em>, these texts provide a complete collection of Greek astral myths; imaginative and<br>picturesque, they also offer an intriguing insight into ancient science and culture.<br><br><br><strong>ABOUT THE SERIES:</strong><br>For over 100 years <em>Oxford World's Classics</em> has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading<br>authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.<br>