Story On The Constellation Aquarius

Modern scholars refer to the myths and study them in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and on the Ancient Greek civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself. In order to honor the Ancient Greek pantheon, poets composed the Homeric Hymns (a group of thirty-three songs).

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, 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 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
The Myth of Leo the Lion: THE LEON NEMEIOS (or Nemean lion) was a large lion, whose hide was impervious to weapons, which plagued the district of Nemea in the Argolis. King Eurystheus commanded Herakles to destroy the beast as the first of his twelve Labours. The hero cornered the lion in its cave and seizing it by the neck wrestled it to death. He then skinned its hide to make a lion-skin cape, one of his most distinctive attributes. Hera afterwards placed the lion amongst the stars 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
Sagittarius The Archer Myth: Sagittarius is the Centaur Archer-Chiron. He was famous for his wisdom and healing abilities. Kings would send their young to him for education as he had great knowledge, being a cross between animal and man.

He was kind and caring and an excellent archer, musician, and physician, and tutored the likes of Achilles, Jason, and Hercules. Chiron was once accidentally shot with an arrow by Hercules. The arrow had been dipped in the poison of the Lernaean Hydra, and inflicted great suffering on Chiron--so great, in fact, that even the talented physician could not cure himself. But because of his wisdom, he had been granted the gift of immortality from the gods..and couldn't die either.

In order to find relief, he offered himself up as a substitute for Prometheus whom Zeus had punished for giving man fire. He was chained to a rock and each day an eagle would eat his liver out. It would regnerate every night and the whole horrible sequence would start over the next day.

Jupiter had agreed, at the request of Hercules to release Prometheus if a suitable substitute could be found. So Chiron replaced Prometheus and for his goodness, Jupiter placed him in the sky...the summer sky.



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
The Underworld in Greek Mythology was the place that mortals passed onto after they had passed away, but it was very much a place for the living as well. The Greek poets were not specific in describing it. Homer considered the Underworld a place of shadows. Nothing there was completely real. The existence that a spirit endured there was one of a bad dream.

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.


Story On The Constellation Aquarius