Cassiopeia
One of the 88 IAU constellations.
Etymology and History
The Greek constellation ...
Origin of Constellation
Babylonian
Greco-Roman
Aratos
In front of him revolves the tragic Cassiepeia, not very large, but visible on the night of a full moon; [190] only a few zigzagging stars adorn her, giving her all over a distinct outline. Like to a key with which men attacking a double door barred on the inside knock back the bolts, [194] such is the appearance of the individual stars that together comprise her. She extends outstretched arms just from her small shoulders: you would say she was grieving over her daughter.
(Kidd 1997)
Eratosthenes
Hipparchus
Hyginus, Astronomica
Euripides and Sophocles and many others have said of her that she boasted that she excelled the Nereids in beauty. For this she was put among the constellations, seated in a chair [?]. On account of her impiety, as the sky turns, she seems to be carried along lying on her back. (Mary Ward 1960)
Geminos
Almagest Κασσιέπεια
| id | Greek (Heiberg 1898) | English (Toomer 1984) | ident. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Κασσιεπείας ἀστερισμός. | Constellation of Cassiopeia | ||
| 1 | ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς | The star on the head | zet Cas |
| 2 | ὁ ἐν τῷ στήθει | The star in the breast | alf Cas |
| 3 | ὁ βορειότερος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ξώνης | The one north of that, on the belt | eta Cas |
| 4 | ὁ ὑπὲρ τὴν καθέδραη κατὰ τῶν μηρῶν | The star over the throne, just over the thighs | gam Cas |
| 5 | ὁ ἐν τοῖς γόνασια. | The star in the knees | del Cas |
| 6 | ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κυήμης. | The star on the lower leg | eps Cas |
| ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ποδός | The star on the end of the leg | iot Cas | |
| ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ βραχίουος | The star on the left upper arm | tet Cas | |
| ὁ ὑποκάτω τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος | The star below the left elbow | phi Cas | |
| ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ πήχεως | The star on the right fore-arm | sig Cas | |
| ὁ ἐπάνω τοῦ ποδὸς τοῦ θρόνου | The star above the foot of the throne | kap Cas | |
| ὁ ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ ἀνακλίθρου | The star on the middlil of the· back of the throne | bet Cas | |
| ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ἀνακλίθρου | The star on the top of the throne-back | rho Cas | |
| ἀστέρες τῇ, ὥυ γ’ μεγέθους ὅ, δ’ ὅ, ε’ ἂ, ϛ’ β | 13 stars, 4 of the third magnitude, 6 of the fourth, 1 of the fifth, 2 of the sixth} |
Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation
Mythology
Weblinks
References
