The document summarizes Greek myths associated with the 12 signs of the zodiac. It describes myths involving gods and heroes such as Zeus, Hercules, and Orion. Key figures included the golden ram that rescued Phrixos (Aries), Zeus abducting Europa as a bull (Taurus), the twins Castor and Pollux (Gemini), and the crab sent to distract Hercules during one of his labors (Cancer). The document also provides pictures illustrating figures from the myths like Europa being carried off by the bull.

1. SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
2nd GE.L. OF EXEDOROS
PROJECT: THE HISTORY OF THE ZODIAC
IN THE ANCIENT GREEK MYTHOLOGY.
PIC:THE SUN

2. ARIES
• In Greek mythology, the constellation of Aries
represents the golden ram that rescued Phrixos,
taking him to the land of Colchis. Phrixos
sacrificed the ram to the gods and hung its skin
in a temple, where it was known as the Golden
Fleece.
PIC: STARBUST

3. TAUROUS
In Greek mythology, Taurus was identified
with Zeus, who assumed the form of a
magnificent white bull to abduct Europa, a
legendary Phoenician princess. In
illustrations, only the front portion of this
constellation are depicted; in Greek
mythology this was sometimes explained
as Taurus being partly submerged as he
carried Europa out to sea. Greek
mythographer Acusilaus marks the bull
Taurus as the same that formed the myth
of the Cretan Bull, one of The Twelve
Labors of Heracles. PIC: EYROPA ,
TIZIANO

4. GEMINI
• Gemini was associated with the myth of
Castor and Pollux, collectively known as
the Dioscuri. One myth of these twins
concerns cattle theft, and may be
connected to earlier myths that described
the Milky Way as a herd of dairy cows. On
star maps, the twins are usually viewed as
leaning away from the Milky Way, but are
sometimes depicted with one of the twins
residing in the Milky Way, and the other
outside it, a situation making it appear that
one of the twins is stealing the cattle, and
the other is observing. When Castor died
because he was mortal, that Pollux begged
his father Jupiter to give Castor immortality
and he did, by uniting them together in the
heavens.
PIC: GEMINI

5. CANCER
• Cancer the crab, plays a minor role in the Twelve Labors
of Hercules. While Hercules was busy fighting the multi-
headed monster, Hydra, the goddess Hera, who did not
like Hercules, sent the Crab to distract him. Cancer
grabbed onto the hero's toe with its claws, but barely
breaking the rhythm of his great battle with Hydra,
Hercules crushed the crab with his foot. Hera, grateful for
the little crustacean's heroic but pitiful effort, gave it a
place in the sky; but none of its stars were bright because
the crab had failed to accomplish its given task.
PIC:Cancer Crab,
David Shankbone

6. LEON
• In Greek mythology associated with the
lion of Nemea, which is the first labor of
Hercules. He lived in the forest of Nemea
and cause great damage. His skin was
impassable, so the hero to kill, had to
drown. All atlases of the sky showing the
hero wearing or holding the lion. Because
the lion was immortal nature, the gods
brought back to life as a constellation of
the sky
PIC: STAR AE
AURIGAE

7. VIRGO
• The Greeks and Romans The figure of Persephone is
associated this constellation well-known today. Her story
with their goddess of wheat,
Demeter-Ceres, who, in early has great emotional power:
versions of the myth, was the an innocent maiden, a
virgin mother of Persephone. mother's grief over her
Persephone was the Queen of abduction, and great joy after
the Underworld, the korē (or
young maiden), in later her daughter is returned. It is
Classical myths, a daughter of also cited frequently as a
Demeter and Zeus in Greek paradigm of myths that
mythology. In the Olympian explain natural processes,
version, she also becomes the
consort of Hades when he with the descent and return of
becomes the deity that the goddess bringing about
governs the underworld. the change of seasons.
PIC: VIRGO

8. SCORPIUS
• In Greek Mythology the myths associated with Scorpio
almost invariably also contain a reference to Orion.
According to one of these myths it is written that Orion
boasted to goddess Artemis and her mother, Leto, that
he would kill every animal on the earth. Although Artemis
was known to be a hunter herself she offered protection
to all creatures. Artemis and her mother Leto sent a
scorpion to deal with Orion. The pair battled and the
contest was apparently a lively one that caught the
attention of the king of the gods Zeus, who later raised
the scorpion to heaven and afterwards, at the request of
Artemis, did the same for Orion to serve as a reminder
for mortals to curb their excessive pride.
PIC: WHIRLPOOL
GALAXY

9. SAGGITARIUS
• In Greek mythology, Sagittarius is identified as a
centaur, half human, half horse. In some legends,
the Centaur Chiron was the son of Philyra and
Saturn, who was said to have changed himself
into a horse to escape his jealous wife, Rhea.
Chiron was eventually immortalised in the
constellation of Centaurus, or in some version,
Sagittarius.
PIC: SAGGITARIUS

10. CAPRICORNUS
• This constellation is sometimes identified
as Amalthea, the goat that suckled the
infant Zeus after his mother Rhea saved
him from being devoured by his father
Cronos (in Greek mythology). The goat's
broken horn was transformed into the
cornucopia or horn of plenty. Some ancient
sources claim that this derives from the
sun "taking nourishment" while in the
constellation, in preparation for its climb
back northward. However, the constellation
is more often depicted as a goat with a
fish's tail. One myth says that when the
goat-god Pan was attacked by the monster
Typhon, he dove into the Nile; the parts
above the water remained a goat, but those
under the water transformed into a fish. In
Sumer, the constellation was associated
with the god Enki (Babylonian Ea), who
brought culture out of the sea to
humankind.
PIC:CAPRICORNUS

11. AQUARIUS
• Aquarius is sometimes identified with
Ganymede, a beautiful youth in Greek
mythology with whom Zeus fell in love and,
in the disguise of an eagle (represented by
the constellation Aquila) carried off to
Olympus to be cup-bearer to the gods. The
constellation of Crater is sometimes
identified as his cup.
• Aquarius may also, together with the
constellation Pegasus, be part of the origin
of the myth of the Mares of Diomedes
which forms one of The Twelve Labours of
Heracles. Its association with pouring out
rivers, and the nearby constellation of
Capricornus, may be the source of the
myth of the Augean stable, which forms
another of the labors PIC:AQUARIUS

12. PISCES
• According to one Greek myth, Pisces represents
the fish into which Aphrodite and her son Eros
transformed in order to escape the fire god
Typhon; they are tied together with a cord on
their tails, to make sure they do not lose one
another. Alternatively, the twin fishes were
placed in the heavens in honor of their heroic
deed of saving Aphrodite and Eros from Typhon
on the river Euphrates.
PIC:GALAXY-NGC1232

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