Virgo as defined in the 1920s. IAU and Sky & Telescope

Virgo, The Maiden, is a constellation in the zodiac. It is documented since the 4th century BCE (at least). Prior to this, there had been the constellation of The Furrow at this place.

Etymology and History of the Constellation Name

Who is depicted here?

History of Naming the Region

Mediaeval and Renaissance Time

Origin of Constellation

Leo and Virgo above the MUŠ-Dragon, two claytablet drawings from the Seleucid era (roughly 2nd century BCE), CC BY SMH based upon the drawings by E. Weidner (1967) and Thureau-Dangin (1922).

Kugel Globe: Cancer, Leo, Hydra, Virgo (drawing by SMH 2024)

Babylonian

Greco-Roman

Aratos

[96] Beneath the two feet of Bootes you can observe the Maiden, who carries in her hand the radiant Spica. Whether she is the daughter of Astraeus, who, they say, was the original father of the stars, or of some other, [100] may her way be peaceful! There is, however, another tale current among men, that once she actually lived on earth, and came face to face with men, and did not ever spurn the tribes of ancient men and women, but sat in their midst although she was immortal. [105] And they called her Justice: gathering together the elders, either in the market-place or on the broad highway, she urged them in prophetic tones to judgements for the good o f the people. At that time they still had no knowledge of painful strife or quarrelsome conflict or noise of battle, [no] but lived just as they were; the dangerous sea was far from their thoughts, and as yet no ships brought them livelihood from afar, but oxen and ploughs and Justice herself, queen of the people and giver of civilised life, provided all their countless needs. That was as long as the earth still nurtured the Golden Age. [115] But with the Silver she associated little, and now not at all willingly, as she longed for the ways of the earlier folk. But nevertheless she was still with this Silver Age too. She would emerge from the sounding mountains towards evening all alone, and not engage anyone in friendly conversation. [120] But filling the broad hillsides with people, she would then speak menacingly, rebuking them for their wickedness, and say she would never more come face to face with them, even if they called her: ‘What an inferior generation your golden fathers have left! And you are likely to beget a still more evil progeny. [125] There will surely be wars, yes, and unnatural bloodshed among men, and suffering from their troubles will come upon them.’ So saying she made for the mountains, and left the people all staring after her. But when these men also had died and there were born [130] the Bronze Age men, more destructive than their predecessors, who were the first to forge the criminal sword for murder on the highways, and the first to taste the flesh of ploughing oxen, then Justice, conceiving a hatred for the generation of these men, flew up to the sky and took up her abode in that place, [135] where she is still visible to men by night as the Maiden near conspicuous Bootes. Above her two shoulders there circles a star [on her right wing: it is called again the Vintager], of similar magnitude and inset with a brightness equal to [140] that of the star which can be seen beneath the tail of the Great Bear. Impressive is the Bear, and impressive are the stars that she has nearby: once you have sighted them, you do not need any other guide, such are the stars that in beauty and magnitude move before her feet, one in front of the forelegs, one before the legs that descend from her loins, [145] and another under the hind knees. But all of them, individually in different positions, go on their way without a name. (Kidd 1997)

Eratosthenes

Hipparchus

Hyginus, Astronomica

Hesiod calls her the daughter of Jove and Themis. Aratus says that she is thought to be daughter of Astraeus and Aurora, who lived at the time of the Golden Age of men and was their leader. On account of her carefulness and fairness she was called Justice, and at that time no foreign nations were attacked in war, nor did anyone sail over the seas, but they were wont to live their lives caring for their fields. But those born after their death began to be less observant of duty and more greedy, so that Justice associated more rarely with men. Finally the disease became so extreme that it was said the Brazen Race was born; then she could not endure more, and flew away to the stars. Others call her Fortune — others, Ceres, and they dispute the more about her because her head is dimly seen. Some have called her Erigone, daughter of Icarus, whom we have spoken of before. Others call her a daughter of Apollo by Chrysothemis, an infant, named Parthenos. Because she died young she was put by Apollo among the constellations. (Mary Ward 1960)

Geminos

Almagest

Ancient Greek Star Lore (Mythology)

Transformation of constellation image

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  Sco-Lib+Furrow+Leo in Stellarium "MUL.APIN"

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  Leo and Virgo above the MUŠ-Dragon, two claytablet drawings from the Seleucid era (roughly 2nd century BCE), CC BY SMH based upon the drawings by E. Weidner (1967) and Thureau-Dangin (1922).

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  Leo+Hya+Vir drawings of VAT7847+AO6884 on Stellarium map

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  Drawing of the Babylonian version of the Maiden constellation by Papke (1987)

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  Leo and Vir above Hydra on the circular Dendera Zodiac, mapped to Stellarium

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  Cancer, Leo, Virgo above Hydra on Greek Kugel Globe (1st century)

Weblinks

• Ridpath, Ian, “Star Tales: online edition”.

References