Aquarius
One of the 88 IAU constellations.
Etymology and History
The Greek constellation ...
Origin of Constellation
Babylonian
Greco-Roman
Aratos
[282] The two Fishes range about the Horse as it prances among them. Beside the Horse’s head the right hand of the Water-pourer stretches out: he rises after Capricorn.
Other stars lying scattered below the Water-pourer [390] hang in the sky between the celestial Monster and the Fish, but they are faint and nameless. Close to them, like a light spray of water being sprinkled this way and that from the right hand of the illustrious Water-pourer, some pale and feeble stars go round. [395] Among them go two rather brighter stars, not so very far apart nor yet very close, one beautiful and bright star beneath the two feet of the Waterpourer, the other below the dark Monster’s tail. Men call them collectively the Water. But a few others [400] below the Archer, under his orefeet, are curved in a ring as they go circling round.
(Kidd 1997)
Eratosthenes
Hipparchus
Hyginus, Astronomica
Aquarius or Water Bearer. Many have said he is Ganymede, whom Jupiter is said to have made cupbearer of the gods, snatching him up from his parents because of his beauty. So he is shown as if pouring water from an urn. Hegesianax, however, says he is Deucalion, because during his reign such quantities of water poured from the sky that the great Flood resulted. Eubulus, again, points out that he is Cecrops, commemorating the antiquity of the race, and showing that men used water in the sacrificed of the gods before wine was given to them, and that Cecrops ruled before wine was discovered. (Mary Ward 1960)
Geminos
Almagest Ὕδρος
| id | Greek (Heiberg 1898) | English (Toomer 1984) | ident. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ὕδρου ἀστερισμός. | Constellation of Aquarius | ||
| 1 | ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ Ὑδροχόου | The star on the head of Aquarius | 25 Aqr |
| 2 | τῶν ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ ὤμῳ β ὁ λαμπρότερος | The brighter of the 2 stars in the right shoulder | alf Aqr |
| 3 | ὁ ὑπ’ αὐτὸν ἀμαυρότερος | The fainter one, under it | omi Aqr |
| 4 | ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ ὤμῳ. | The star in the left shouldcr | bet Aqr |
| 5 | ὁ ὑπ’ αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ νώτῳ ὡς ὑπὸ τὴν μασχάλην | The one under that, in the back, approximately under the armpit | xi Aqr |
| 6 | ὁ τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ χειρὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱματίου ἢ’ ὁ ἐπόμενοςἡ | The rearmost of the three stars in the left arm, on the coat | nu Aqr |
| ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν | The middle one of these | mu Aqr | |
| ὁ προηγούμευος τῶν τριῶν. | The most advanced of the three | eps Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ πήχει | The star in the right forearm | gam Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἀκροχείρου γ’ ὁ βόρειος. | The northernmost of the 3 stars an the right hand | pi Aqr | |
| Τὸ τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ βορείωυ β ὁ προηγούμενος | The more advanced of the other 2 to the south | zet Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν | The rearmost of them | eta Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ κοτύλη συνεχῶν β ὁ προηγούμενος. | The more advanced of the 2 stars close tagether in the hollow of the right [hip] | tet Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν | The rearmost of them | rho Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ γλουτοῦ | The star on the right buttock | sig Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ γλουτῷ Κ’ ὁ νότιος | The southernmost of the 2 stars in the left buttock | iot Aqr | |
| ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν | The northernmost of them | 38 Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ κνήμῃ β’ ὁ νοτιώτερος | The southernmost of the 2 stars in the right lower leg | del Aqr | |
| ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ἀγκύλην | The northernmost of the·m, under the knee-bend | tau Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐο τῷ ἀριστερῷ ὀπισθομήρῳ. | The star in the back of the left thigh | 53 Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ κνήμῃ β ὁ νοτιώτερος. | The southernmost of the 2 stars in the left lower leg | 68 Aqr | |
| ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τὸ γόνυ. | The northernmost of these, under the knee | 66 Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ῥύσεως τοῦ ὕδατος ἀπὸ τῆς χειρὸς ὁ προηγούμενος. | The stars on the flow of water: the most advanced [in the section] beginning at the hand | kap Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐχόμενος ἐκ φότου τοῦ προειρημένου | the one next to the latter towards the south | lam Aqr | |
| ὁ τούτουυ ἐχόμενος μετὰ τὴν καμπήη | the one next to this, aftcr [the beginning of] the bend | 83 Aqr | |
| ὁ ἔτι τούτῳ ἑπόμενος | the onc to the rear again of this | phi Aqr | |
| ὁ τούτου ἐν καμπῇ ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας… | the one in the bend to the south of this | chi Aqr | |
| τῶν ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας αὐτοῦ β’ ὁ βορειότερος. | the northcrnmost of the 2 stars to the south of this | psi1 Aqr | |
| ὁ νοτιώτερος τῶν δύο. | the southcrnmost of the two | psi3 Aqr | |
| ὁ διεστὼς αὐτῶν πρὸς μεσημβρύαν μουαχός- | the lone star at some distance from thcsc [two] towards the south | HR 8958 | |
| τῶν μετ’ αὐτὸν β συνεχῶν ὁ προηγούμενος | the morc advanccd of the 2 stars dose tagether after the latter | ome1 Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν | the rearmost of them | ome2 Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐχομένῃ συστροφῇ ἢ’ ὁ βόρειος. | the northernmost of the 3 stars in the next group | 103 + 104 Aqr | |
| ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν | the middlc one of the three | 106 Aqr | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν | the rearmost of them | 108 Aqr | |
| ὁμοίως τῶν ἐφεξῆς γ' ὁ βόρειος. | thc northernmost of thc nexl 3 [arranged] likewise | 98 Aqr | |
| ὁ νότιος τῶν τριῶν | the southernmost of the thrcc | 101 Aqr | |
| ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν | thc middle one of thc three | 99 Aqr | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ λοιπῇ συστροφῇ ’ ὁ ἠγούμενος | the most advanced of thc 3 stars in the rcmaining group | 86 Aqr | |
| τῶν λοιπῶν β’ ὁ νοτιώτερος | the southcrnmost of the other 2 | 89 Aqr | |
| ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν | the not·thcrnmost of them | 88 Aqr | |
| ὁ ἔσχατος τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ νοτίου Ἰχθύος | the star at the end of thc water and on the mouth of Piscis Austrinus | alf PsA | |
| all | ἀστέρερ μβ, ὥν αἱ μεγέθους ἂ, γ’ 3, δ’ ἢ, εἴ φ, ς’ ἄ. | 42 stars, I of the first magnitude, 9 of the third, 18 of the fourth, 13 of the fifth, I of the sixth | |
| Οἱ περὶ τὸν Ὕδρου ἀμόρφωτοι | Stars round Aquarius outside the constelfation | ||
| ὁ τῶν ἐπομένων τῇ καμπῇ τοῦ ὕδατος φ’ ὁ ἠγούμενος | The most advanced of the 3 stars to the rear of the bend in the water | 2 Cet | |
| τῶν λοιπῶν β’ ὁ βορειότερος | The northernmost of the other 2 | 6 Cet | |
| ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν. | The southernmost of them | 7 Cet | |
| ἀστέρες γ μεγέθους δ’ μ. | {3 stars of magnitude greater than the fourth} |
Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation
Mythology
Weblinks
References
