Gemini Constellation Myths

Mythical narration plays an important role in nearly every genre of Greek literature. In addition, there were the dark powers of the underworld, such as the Erinyes (or Furies), said to pursue those guilty of crimes against blood-relatives.

Aires
Aires or the Ram is the first sign of the zodiac (March 21- April 19).The Greek Myth for Aires is about the king of Thessaly. He was married to a wicked woman who beat her step-children, his son and daughter-Phrixus and Helle. Hermes a god was furious at this and sent a ram to carry the children to safety.

Tragically, Helle slipped fell from the ram into the sea. Phrixus, her brother made it to shore of the Black Sea. He had to sacrifice the ram to give it's fleece to a dragon. It was Jason and his Argonauts who later re-claimed the fleece and took it back to Thessaly.

Amphilochus
Amphilochus was the younger son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle and the brother of Alcmaeon.

Eriphyle persuaded Amphiaraus to take part in the Seven Against Thebes raid, though he knew he would die. His wife had been persuaded by Polynices, who offered her the necklace of Harmonia, daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. Amphiaraus reluctantly agreed to join the battle and asked his sons, Alcmaeon and Amphilochus, to avenge his death. In the battle, Amphiaraus sought to flee from Poriclymenus, the son of Poseidon, who wanted to kill him, but Zeus threw his thunder and the earth opened to swallow Amphiaraus together with his chariot.

Alcmaeon killed his mother and exiled himself. Amphilochus became a prominent seer, and founded several oracles most importantly Mallos in Cilicia, and (with Mopsus), the oracle of Apollo at Colophon.

Ares
Ares, the Greek god of war, was never trusted by Greeks because of his outright bloodlust and violent ways. He was typically vicious and merciless.

His half sister Athena was also a war goddess, but she based her attack on strategy, not pure violence.

Ares was born among the warring Thacians and returned there after his affair with Aphrodite was exposed. It is said he fathered Eros (Cupid) in this relationship.

Eros
Eros was the darling of poets and artists over the centuries. But he affected more than mankind - he also inspired desire in countless Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroine, causing no end of trouble for all. Eros was the son of the goddess Aphrodite (in some tales, it is claimed that he is the child of both Aphrodite and Ares). As Aphrodite's son, Eros loses a bit of his power and prestige and becomes more of a companion (or accomplice) to the goddess of love and desire. This could be one possible explanation for why Eros, over the centuries, is transformed in myth and art from a handsome young man to a chubby mischievous child.

Eros was known as Cupid in Roman mythology. The name "Psyche" means "Soul" and her union with Eros (aka Cupid) tells the story of how Love and Soul came to be together. By the way, this story is Roman, not Greek, but it works just as well with the Greek, so that is how I shall tell it. This myth had an enormous impact on fairy tales for the next couple of thousand years.Eros in Greek mythology, was the primordial god of lust, love, and intercourse; he was also worshipped as a fertility deity. His Roman counterpart was Cupid, "desire", also known as Amor, "love". According to tradition which was made by Eratosthenes, Eros was principally the patron of male love, while Aphrodite ruled the love between men and women. His statue could be found in the palaestrae or wrestling schools, one of the principal venues for men to associate with their beloveds, and it was to him that the Spartans sacrificed before battle.

Gemini
Gemini-Greek Mythology: According to the Gemini myth, the stars in the constellation are that of twin brothers Castor and Pollux. Leda was their mother but Castor was the son of her mortal husband and so was also mortal and Pollux was the son of Zeus and therefore immortal.

They were also brothers to Helen of Troy. It is said they were hatched from an egg, and grew into very kind, well educated men, healers and protectors of mankind.

They sailed with Jason as two of the Argonauts, searching for the Golden Fleece. A fierce storm threatened the mission but abated as a pair of stars appeared over the heads of the twins. Since that time, seamen have called upon the brothers for protection from peril and the eerie lightning phenomenon often called Saint Elmo's Fire has long been

regarded as the spirits of the twins playing in the sails and protecting sailors.

The brothers fell in love with sisters..daughters of Leudippus. But the girls were already betrothed to other brothers Ida and Lynceus, who were actually cousins of the twins by virtue of Poseidon, who was supposed to be the suitors father. The twins battled their cousins and killed them, but Castor was mortally wounded. Pollux was overcome with

grief and would have done himself in, but being immortal..this could

not be done.

Zeus placed both their immortal souls together in the sky as symbols of brotherly love. But like all miracles..this did not come without a price. Throughout eternity they would have to spend one day on Olympus and the next in Hades.



Leo
Leo Constellation Mythology: This is the Nemean Lion that Hercules battled as the first of his Labors. No weapon could pierce its skin, but Hercules killed the lion by strangling it. After killing the lion, Hercules used its own claws to skin it. Hercules wore the skin as a cloak, and it became his trademark. Hera later placed the lion in the sky as the constellation Leo.

Libra
Greek Mythology - Libra - A better known story for Libra is that the stars of Libra came to represent the Golden Chariot of Pluto. The story of Pluto's abduction of Persephone is a widely known Greek myth, perhaps because it has such a strong astronomical association.

Pluto's (or Hades') Golden Chariot was used whenever hewished to visit the Upperworld, usually to seduce a nymph. But when he took Persephone back to Tartarus, the deepest part of Hades, the Upperworld would change forever.

It was considered imprudent and dangerous to mention the names of certain gods and goddesses. Thus the Furies, or Cronies, were called Eumenides (Kindly Ones), and Hades was called Pluto (Rich One).

Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Hades is so enamoured by the beauty of Persephone, he wants her for his own, so takes her by force down to his kingdom, where she becomes the Queen of the Underworld.

Demeter is so distraught about the loss of her daughter she decides to forbid any seeds from sprouting. A vast drought spreads throughout the Upperworld. Zeus becomes vexed, for he is owed a certain tribute, and if the drought continues his tribute will not be forthcoming. Zeus convinces his brother Hades to give up Persephone, so that the

Upperworld can again become green and lush.

Hades agrees, provides that Persephone hasn't eaten anything since her arrival. Alas, she had consumed six pomegranate seeds, so Hades claims she cannot return.

Zeus will have none of it, and rules that she must forever divide her time between the Upperworld and the Underworld; four months out of the year she must stay with her husband, while the rest of the year she may visit her mother, in the Upperworld.

Pisces
Mythology of Pisces-The horrible earthborn giant Typhoeus suddenly appeared one day, startling all the gods into taking on different forms to flee.

Jupiter, for instance, transformed himself into a ram; Mercury became an ibis; Apollo took on the shape of a crow; Diana hid herself as a cat; and Bacchus disguised himself as a goat.

Venus and her son Cupid were bathing on the banks of the Euphrates River that day, and took on the shapes of a pair of fish to escape danger. Minerva later immortalized the event by placing the figures of two fish amongst the stars.

Sagittarius
What is the Myth Behind Sagittarius? Sagittarius - Chiron, whom the myth is based on was renowned because of his wisdom he had of life, of nature, of human behaviour.

Wild and uncivilized as he was, all the kings of Greece gave him gifts and sent their young ones to Chiron for instruction, to prepare them for their training as princes. Chiron was the sage, the teacher, the philosopher. He was a mysterious figure, for from his union of man and beast came both a deep knowledge of man's bestial origins, and a deep sadness at his own differentness. He was the alien, the outsider. He saw too much. One of the tales about Chiron relates that he received a wound from a poisoned arrow. But because of his wisdom, he had been granted the gift of immortality from the gods. So he couldn't die. But neither could the wound heal, for the poison was from a deadly serpent.

So Chiron is the figure of the wounded healer, the sage who has an incurable injury yet who, because of his injury, understands far better the nature of pain. He becomes a healer through learning the secrets of herbs and magic. Yet he cannot heal himself. In this noble and rather tragic figure of myth we can get a glimpse of the deepest meaning of Sagittarius. Most of the centaurs were regarded in myth as bestial--they were, after all, half horse. However, the ancient Greeks had a great deal of respect for the horse, and so were reluctant to make the centaurs entirely bad.

In fact, Chiron was renowned for his gentleness. He was an excellent archer, musician, and physician, and tutored the likes of Achilles, Jason, and Hercules Chiron, however, was accidentally shot and wounded by Hercules. The arrow, which had been dipped in the poison of the Lernaean Hydra, inflicted great suffering on Chiron--so great, in fact,

that even the talented physician could not cure himself.

Taurus
Greek Myth for Taurus - In Ancient Greece, bulls were sacrosanct to Poseidon (Greek God of Sea and Storms), as well as to Dionysus (Greek God of Male Fertility and Wine) and there are a variety of myths associated with Taurus.

In one such legend, Taurus represents the white bull which sired the famous Minotaur, whose mother was the wife of King Minos of Crete. This bull was sent to Minos as a sign that he was the rightful heir to the throne. However, Minos did not sacrifice the bull to Poseidon as he had been instructed to do, so the ever-vengeful Sea God caused Pasiphaë,

Minos' queen, to fall in love with the creature.


Underworld
Underworld Greek Mythology - The mortals who passed, both good and bad, went onto the Underworld. Once there, the spirits awaited judgment. Their fate depended on their bravery and justice in life. Those who had offended the gods might anticipate suffering, but a person's goodness was rewarded with an afterlife of happiness.Unlike a Judeo-Christian concept of the afterlife, time passed in the Underworld, and the dead and living could communicate. Rules there were made, it seemed, to be broken. Many myths were set in the Underworld: the living tried to rescue the dead from their fate, or the gods sent the living there to retrieve an object. From these myths we can learn the layout of the Underworld as well as its rulers and guardians.

Virgo
Myth of Virgo The Virgin: Astrea was daughter Zeus and Temis, being because one titánide and personifying next to its mother to justice. According to other sources, she was daughter of Astreo and Eos.

She was also the last immortal that lived between the humans during the golden Era of Cronos, leaving the Earth last in the Era of the bronze. Zeus raised her to the sky, locating it by near constellation Libra.


Gemini Constellation Myths