|
|
|
Leo Constellation Mythology
Greek mythology has had extensive influence on the culture, the arts and the literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. After Cronus betrayed his father, he feared that his offspring would do the same, and so each time Rhea gave birth, he snatched up the child and ate it.
Aires
The Greek Mythology of Aires (March 21-19) lies in the story of the King of Thessaly and his children, daughter Helle and son Phrixus. Because their nasty step-mother was beating them on a regular basis..Hermes the Greek god sent a ram to carry them away.
On the trip, poor Helle lost her grip and fell to the sea. Where she landed was named Hellespont and now it's known as the Dardanelles today. Her brother made it to the shore of the Black Sea and had to kill the ram for it's fleece to appease a sleepless dragon. Jason and the Argonauts later came back for it and returned it the the King.
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 was the great Olympian god of war, battlelust, civil order and manly courage. In Greek art he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle arms, or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. Because of his lack of distinctive attributes he is often difficult to identify in classical art.
Though often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, he is more accurately the god of bloodlust, or slaughter personified: "Ares is apparently an ancient abstract noun meaning throng of battle, war.
Among the Hellenes, Ares was always distrusted... Although Ares' half-sister Athena was also considered a war deity, her stance was that of strategic warfare, whereas Ares's tended to be one of unpredictable violence. His birthplace and true home was placed far off, among the barbarous and warlike Thracians, to whom he withdrew after his affair with Aphrodite was revealed.
Eros
Eros in Greek mythology, was the primordial god of lust, love, and intercourse; whereas his mother Aphrodite ruled the love between men and women. He was referred to in Roman culture as Cupid..and associated with love and desire.
His statue could be found in the palaestrae or wrestling schools, one of the principal venues for men to associate with their beloveds. It was to Eros that the Spartans sacrificed before battle.
His mating with Psyche (whose name means Soul) forever linked love and soul.
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 strange story, but here we go. It is the background of the blind prophet - Tiresias. He was a favorite of Hera and at a time when he still has his sight, he watched the coupling of a pair of snakes. He asked Hera, which had more pleasure - the male or the female. Hera couldn't answer so enabled Tiresias to spend some time as a female as well as male so he could compare.
On his return, Zeus was present when Tiresias made his report. He wanted to be diplomatic but when pressured by Zeus, he had to admit the female was the luckier one. Zeus was furious and blinded the prophet for his insult to masculinity.
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
Greek Myth Underworld - Latin poets such as Virgil described the Underworld as a place where the wicked were punished and the good rewarded in the life after death. Virgil also assigned a geographic area to the Underworld. The path to the Underworld led to the river Acheron, as it poured into the river Cocytus.
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.
Leo Constellation Mythology
|
|
