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Myth Constellation Libra
Geometric designs on pottery of the 8th century BCE depict scenes from the Trojan cycle as well as the adventures of Heracles. 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
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, the son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle was asked by his father to avenge his father's forthcoming death along side his brother Alcmaeon. His ridiculous mother had been talked into making her husband, Amphiaraus take part in the Seven Against Thebes raid by Polynices, who offered the silly woman the necklace of Harmonia.
During the fated 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, enveloping Amphiaraus together with his chariot.
The sons parted ways, Alcmaeon killed his mother and went into exile. Amphilochus evolved into a talented seer, finding many oracles, in particular 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 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
Mythology of Libra-The Greek myth of Tiresias, the blind prophet, also has some relation to Libra. It's a curious myth, and we'll deal here with only part of it, the part that really pertains to our curious subject.
Tiresias, because he has the favour of the goddess Hera, is given the chance to observe a miracle: two serpents coupling in the goddess' sacred grove. He asks the goddess which of them experiences the greater pleasure; and because she cannot answer, she grants him the boon of spending part of his life as a woman, so that he can experience both. At the end of this ritual of transsexual initiation, he returns to his male form and is called before Zeus and Hera and asked which experiences the greatest pleasure - male or female. At first he tries diplomacy, because whichever answer he gives he knows he is bound to offend somebody. But eventually he tells the truth - that the female experiences the greater pleasure - whereupon Zeus, furious at this insult to masculine vanity, strikes him blind.
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
Mythology of the Taurus - In one myth, Theseus of Athens travels to Crete and (with the help of Ariadne) slays the dreadful Minotaur...a flesh-eating monster who had been locked in a Labyrinth and reported to have the figure of a man, but sporting a bull's head which could breathe fire.
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: The Goddess Astraea is the Goddess of Justice; she represents the natural order including birth, change, abundance and death. Virgo doesn't actually mean virgin..but 'self-contained'..which Astreaea was. She once lived on earth in the golden age and taught of the nature of the seasons. Astraea was the daughter of Zeus and Themis. Astraea inherited from her mother the duty of asserting justice. She was the last of the immortals to leave the earth when the Golden Age finished through a period of lawlessness and crime. She then took up her place in the Zodiac, in the constellation of Virgo.
Myth Constellation Libra
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