Pisces
One of the 88 IAU constellations. The constellation Pisces emerged in rather late time in antiquity. Its origin is yet unexplained but it occurs in written Greek sources (Aratus, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, Ptolemy) and it is depicted in the circular Denderah zodiac dating to Roman time Egypt. Babylonian sources do not have this constellations.
Etymology and History
The Greek constellation ...
Origin of Constellation
Babylonian
Greco-Roman
Eudoxos
Aratus
Still farther ahead and more in the approaches to the south [240] are the Fishes; but one is always more prominent than the other and hears more the fresh onset of the north wind. From both of them stretch, as it were, chains from the tail-parts, coming together in an unbroken line on both sides. One beautiful bright star occupies this position, [245] and they call it the celestial Knot. Let Andromeda’s left shoulder be your guide to the more northerly Fish, for it is very close to it. (Kidd 1997)
Eratosthenes
Hipparchus
Hyginus, Astronomica
Diognetus Erythraeus says that once Venus and her son Cupid came in Syria to the river Euphrates. There Typhon, of whom we have already spoken, suddenly appeared. Venus and her son threw themselves into the river and there changed their forms to fishes, and by so doing this escaped danger. So afterwards the Syrians, who are adjacent to these regions, stopped eating fish, fearing to catch them lest with like reason they seem either to oppose the protection of the gods, or to entrap the gods themselves. (Mary Ward 1960)
Geminos
Almagest Ἰχθύες
| id | Greek (Heiberg 1898) | English (Toomer 1984) | ident. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ἰχθύων ἀστερισμός | Constellation of Pisces | ||
| 1 | ὁ ἐν τῷ στόματι τοῦ προηγουμένου Ἰχθύος | The star in the mouth of the advance fish | bet Psc |
| τῶν ἐν τῷ κραυίῳ αὐτοῦ β’ ὁ νοτιώτερος. | The southernrnost of the 2 stars in the top of its head | gam Psc | |
| ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν. | The northernmost of them | 7 Psc | |
| τῶν ἐν τῷ νώτῳ β ὁ προηγούμενος. | The more advanced of the 2 stars in the back | tet Psc | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν | The rearmost of them | iot Psc | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ β ὁ προηγούμενος | The more advanced of the 2 stars in the belly | kap Psc | |
| ὁ ἑπόμευος αὐτῶν. | The rearmost of them | lam Psc | |
| ὁ ἐν τῇ οὐρᾷ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰχθύος | The star in the tail of the sarne [ advance] fish | ome Psc | |
| τῶν κατὰ τὸ λίνον αὐτοῦ ὁ πρῶτος ἀπὸ τῆς οὐρᾶς | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the first after the tail | 41 Psc | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the one to the rear | 51 Psc | |
| τῶν ἐφεξῆς λαμπρῶν ἢ ὁ προηγούμενος | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the most advanced of the 3 following bright Stars | del Psc | |
| ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the middle one of these | eps Psc | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος τῶν τριῶν. | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the rearmost of the three | zet Psc | |
| τῶν ὑπ’ αὐτοὺς ἐν καμπῇ μικρῶν β’ ὁ βορειότερος | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the northernmost of the 2 small stars under these, in the bend | 80 Psc | |
| ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the southernmost of them | 89 Psc | |
| τῶν μετὰ τὴν καμπὴν ἢ ὁ προηγούμενος. | The stars forrning its fishing-line: the must advanccd of the 3 stars aftcr the bend | mu Psc | |
| ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν | The stars forrning its fishing-line: thc middle one of thesc | nu Psc | |
| ὁ ἑπόμενος τῶν τριῶν. | The stars forrning its fishing-line: thc rearmost of thc three | xi Psc | |
| ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ συνδέσμου τῶν β λίνων | Tbc star on the knot joining the 2 fishing-lines | alf Psc | |
| τῶν ἐν τῷ βορείῳ λίνῳ ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ συυδέσμου προηγούμενος | Stars in the northern fishing-line: thc first in the section beginning at thc knot | omi Psc | |
| τῶν μετ’ αὐτὸν ἐφεξῆς γ’ ὁ νότιος. | Stars in the northern fishing-line: the Southemmost of the 3 stars following after that | pi Psc | |
| ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν. | Stars in the northern fishing-line: thc middle one of thcse | eta Psc | |
| ὁ βόρειος τῶν γ καὶ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς οὐρᾶς: | Stars in the northern fishing-line: the northernmost of the 3, which is also on the end of the tail | rho Psc | |
| τῶν ἐν τῷ στόματι τοῦ ἐπομένου Ἰχθύος β ὁ βορειότερος, | The northemmost of the 2 stars in the mouth of thc rear fish | 82 Psc | |
| ὁ νότιος αὐτῶν. | The southemmost of thcm | tau Psc | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ ἢ μικρῶν ὁ ἐπόμενος. | The rearmost of thc 3 small stars in the head | 68 Psc | |
| ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν. | The middle one or thcse | 67 Psc | |
| ὁ προηγούμενος τῶν τριῶν | The most advanccd of the three | 65 Psc | |
| τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ρωτιαίας ἀκάνθηςἢ μετὰ τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀγκῶνος. τῆς Ἀνδρομέδας ὁ προηγούμενος | The most advanced of the 3 stars on the spinc in the back fo!lowing [i.e. to the tear of] the star on the elbow of Andromeda | psi1 Psc | |
| ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν | The midclle one of the thrcc | psi2 Psc | |
| ὁ ἐπόμενος τῶν τριῶν. | Thc rearmost of thc three | chi Psc | |
| τῶν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ β ὁ βορειότερος. | The northernmast of the 2 stars in the belly | ups Psc | |
| ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν. | The southernmost of them | phi Psc | |
| ὁ ἐν τῇ ἐπομένῃ ἀκάνθη περὶ τὴν οὐράῃ. | The star in the rear spine, near the tail | psi3 Psc | |
| ἀστέρες λδ, ὧν γ’ μεγέθους β, δ’ κῇ, ε’7, ς ξ- | 34 stars, 2 of the third magnitude, 22 of the fourth, 3 of the fifth, 7 of the sixth | ||
| Οἱ περὶ τοὺς Ἰχθύας ἀμόρφωτοι. | Stars round Pisces outside the constellatian: | ||
| τοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἠγούμενον Ἰχθὺν τετραπλεύρου τῶν βορείων β ὁ ἠγούμενος. | The quadrilateral under the advance fish: the more advanced of the 2 northern stars | ||
| ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν. | The quadrilateral under the advance fish: the rearmost of them | ||
| τῆς νοτίου πλευρᾶς ὁ προηγούμευος. | The quadrilateral under the advance fish: the more advanced star on the sauthern siele | ||
| ὁ ἐπόμενος τῆς νοτίου πλευρᾶς. | The quadrilateral under the advance fish: the rearmost ane on the southern siele | ||
| ἀστέρες ὁ μεγέθους δ΄. | 4 stars of the fourth magnitude |
Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation
Mythology
Weblinks
References
