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CONSTANTINUS
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CONSTANTINUS , See also:pope from 708 to 715, was a Syrian by See also:birth and was consecrated pope in See also: Cassiopeia Auriga Cepheus Ursa minor Ursa major Bootes Serpentarius Hercules Lyra Aquila Pegasus Andromeda Zodiacal . See also:Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius Pisces Southern . Eridanus See also:Orion Canis major Argo Hydra See also:Corvus Centaurus See also:Lupus Ara 2 Piscis Cetus Crater australis The Phoenicians—a See also:race dominated by the spirit of commercial enterprise—appear to have studied the stars more especially with respect to their service to navigators; according to Hpmer " the stars were sent by See also:Zeus as portents for mariners." But all their truly astronomical writings are lost, and only by a somewhat speculative piecing together of scattered evidences can an estimate of their knowledge be formed. The inter-relations of the Phoenicians with the See also:early Hellenes were frequent and far-reaching, and in the Greek presentation of the legends concerning constellations a distinct Phoenician, and in turn Euphratean, See also:element appears. One of the earliest examples of Greek literature extant, the Theogonia of See also:Hesiod (c. Boo B.C.), appears to be a curious blending of Hellenic and Phoenician thought. Although not an astronomical work, several See also:constellation subjects are introduced. In the same author's See also:Works and Days, a See also:treatise which is a sort of shepherd's See also:calendar, there are distinct references to the Pleiades, See also:Hyades, Orion, Sirius and See also:Arcturus. It cannot be argued, however, that these were the only stars and constellations named in his See also:time; the omission proves nothing. The same is true of the Homeric epics wherein the Pleiades, Hyades, Ursa major, Orion and Bootes are mentioned, and also of the stars and constellations mentioned in See also:Job. Further support is given to the view that, in the See also:main, the constellations were transmitted to the Greeks by the Phoenicians from Euphratean See also:sources in the fact that Thales, the earliest Greek astronomer of any See also:note, was of Phoenician descent. According to See also:Callimachus he taught the Greeks to See also:steer by Ursa minor instead of Ursa major; and other astronomical observations are assigned to him. But his writings are lost, as is also the See also:case with those of Phocus the Samian, and the See also:history of See also:astronomy by Eudemus, the See also:pupil of See also:Aristotle; hence the paucity of our knowledge of Thales's astronomical learning. From the 6th See also:century B.C. onwards, legends concerning the constellation subjects were frequently treated by the historians and poets. Aglaosthenes or Agaosthenes, an early writer, knew Ursa minor as Kvvovovpa, Cynosura, and recorded the See also:translation of Aquila; See also:Epimenides the Cretan (c. 600 s.c.) recorded the translation of Capricornus and the See also:star See also:Capella; Pherecydes of See also:Athens (c. 500–450 B.C.) recorded the See also:legend of Orion, and stated the astronomical fact that when Orion sets Scorpio rises; See also:Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.) and See also:Hellanicus of Mytilene (c. 496–411 B.c.) narrate the legend of the seven Pleiades—the daughters of See also:Atlas; and the latter states that the Hyades are named either from their See also:orientation, which resembles v (upsilon), "or because at their rising or setting Zeus rains "; and Hecataeus of See also:Miletus (c. 470 B.C.) treated the legend of the Hydra. In the 5th century B.C. the Athenian astronomer Euctemon, according to Geminus of See also:Rhodes, compiled a weather calendar in which Aquarius, Aquila, Canis major, Corona, Cygnus, Delphinus, Lyra, Orion, Pegasus, Sagitta and the asterisms Hyades and Pleiades are mentioned, always, however, in re- Corvus. In this enumeration Serpens is included in Serpentarius and Lupus in Centaurus; these two constellations were separated by Hipparchus and, later, by See also:Ptolemy. On the other See also:hand, Aratus kept the Pleiades distinct from Taurus, but Hipparchus reduced these stars to an asterism. Aratus was no astronomer, while Hipparchus was; and from the fact that the latter adopted, with but trifling exceptions, the constellation See also:system portrayed by Aratus, it may be concluded that the system was already See also:familiar in Greek thought. And three See also:hundred years after Hipparchus, the Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy adopted a very similar See also:scheme in his uranometria, which appears in the seventh and eighth books of his Almagest, the See also:catalogue being styled the "Eic8eots aavovucit or " accepted version." The Almagest has a dual interest: first, being the work of one primarily a commentator, it presents a crystallized See also:epitome of all earlier knowledge; and secondly, it has served as a basis of subsequent star-catalogues.' The Ptolemaic catalogue em-braces only those stars which were visible at Rhodes in the time of Hipparchus (c. 150 B.C.), the results being corrected for precession " by increasing the longitudes by 2° 40', and leaving the latitudes undisturbed " (See also:Francis See also:Baily, Mem. R.A.S., 1843). The names and orientation of the constellations therein adopted are, with but few exceptions, identical with those used at the See also:present See also:day; and as it cannot be doubted that Ptolemy made only very few modifications in the system of Hipparchus, the names were adopted at least three centuries before the Almagest was compiled. The names in which Ptolemy differs from modern usage are: Hercules (Ev yovao-tv), Cygnus ("Opals), Eridanus (]loraµos), Lupus (O17Piov), Pegasus ("Iaaos), Equuleus ("Ilraov aporoµil ), Canis minor (llporcuwv), and Libra (XrjXai., although 'uyos is used for the same constellation in other parts of the Almagest). The following table gives the names of the constellations as they occur in (1) modern catalogues; (2) Ptolemy (A.D. 150); (3) Ulugh Beg (1437); (4) Tycho See also:Brahe (1628); the last See also:column gives the See also:English See also:equivalent of the modern name. The reverence and authority which was accorded the famous compilation of the Alexandrian astronomer is well evidenced by the catalogue of the Tatar Ulugh Beg, the Arabian names there adopted being equivalent to the Ptolemaic names in nearly every case; this is also shown in the Latin See also:translations given below. Tycho Brahe, when compiling his catalogue of stars, was unable to observe Lupus, Ara, Corona australis and Piscis australis, on See also:account of the See also:latitude of Uranienburg; and hence these constellations are omitted from his catalogue. He diverged from Ptolemy when he placed the asterisms See also:Coma Berenices and See also:Antinous upon the level of formal constellations, Ptolemy having ' The See also:historical development of star-catalogues in general, regarded as See also:statistics of the co-ordinates, &c., of stars, is given in the historical See also:section of the See also:article ASTRONOMY. See also E. B. Knobel, " Chronology of Star Catalogues," See also:Item. R.A.S.(1877). Modern. Ptolemy. Ulugh Beg. Tycho Brahe. Meaning. s Ursa minor "ApKrov jwcpas dITEpLO'µbs Stellae Ursi minoris Ursa minor, Cynosura Little See also:Bear o Ursa major "ApKTOV µeyaXns „ „ Ursi majoris Ursa major, Helice •Great Bear ., Draco Ap6KOVTOS Draconis Draco See also:Dragon c Cepheus Kncbws „ „ Cephei Cepheus Cepheus 3 Bootes Botrov „ „ Vociferatoris Bootes, Arctophylax Ploughman o Corona borealis Fir€4 you 5opdoV „ „ Coronae or Phecca Corona borea Northern See also:Crown z Hercules Too iv ybvavev „ „ Incumbentis genubus Engonasi, Hercules See also:Man kneeling Lyra Abpas 7t „ ro3Shelyak or Testudo Lyra, Vultur cadens See also:Lyre Cygnus "OpvcOos „ „ Gallinae Olor, Cygnus See also:Bird, See also:Swan Cassiopeia Kao'o'LE7retas „ „ Inthronatae Cassiopeia Cassiopeia Perseus IIEpvEws „ Bershaush or Portans Perseus Perseus Auriga 'HvtbXou „ Caput Larvae Auriga, Heniochus, Erichthonius Charioteer Serpentarius 'O4eobxov „ Tenentis habenas Ophiuchus, Serpentarius See also:Serpent-holder Serpens "Opewsbr/iwGXov Serpentarii Serpens ophiuchi Serpent Sagitta Otoro" „ Serpentis Sagitta or Telum Arrow Aquila AErov „ Sagittae Aquila or Vultur volans See also:Eagle Delphinus AEX¢Yvos „ Aquilae Delphinus See also:Dolphin Equuelus "Irrov rporoAs „ „ Delphini Equuleus, Equi sectio See also:Colt Pegasus "Irrou „ Sectionis egni Pegasus, Equus alatus Pegasus, See also:Horse Andromeda 'AvSpoµESas Equi majoris Andromeda Andromeda Triangulum Tptywvou „ „ Mulieris catenatae Triangulus, Deltoton Triangle „ Trianguli N Aries Kpwv” „ •Arietis Aries See also:Ram m Taurus Tabpou „ See also:Tauri Taurus See also:Bull a Gemini AtSGµwv „ „ Gemellorum Gemini Twins o Cancer KapKtvov „ „ Cancri Cancer Crab o Leo Aeovros „ Leonis Leo See also:Lion N Virgo IIapBEVOV Virginis, Sumbela Virgo Virgin Libra X,Xav Librae Libra See also:Balance Scorpio EKOpriov ,, „ Scorpionis Scorpius See also:Scorpion Sagittarius Totbrov „ „ Sagittarii, Arcum Sagittarius See also:Archer Capricornus Ai 'OKEpwros „ Capricorni Capricornus See also:Goat Aquarius 'TSpoxbov „ „ Effusoris See also:aquae, Situla Aquarius See also:Water-pourer Pisces 'IXBuwv „ Piscis Pisces Fishes v, Cetus Kip-our „ Ceti Cete See also:Sea-See also:monster, 8 Orion 'Slpiovos „ Gigantis Orion See also:Whale Eridanus IIorapou” „ Fluminis Eridanus fluvius Orion Lepus Aaygwu „ „ Leporis Lepus See also:River Canis major Kuvbs „ „ Canis majoris Canis major See also:Hare Canis minor IIpoKUVbs „ Canis minoris Canis minor, Procyon See also:Great See also:Dog Argo Apyous „ Navis Argo navis Little Dog Hydra "TSpov „ Hydri Hydra See also:Ship Crater Kpari pos „ „ Craterae Crater Sea-serpent Corvus KbpaKos „ Corvi Corvus Bowl Centaurus Kevraipou „ „ Centauri Centaurus, See also:Chiron See also:Crow Lupus Onplou „ Ferae Centaur Ara OvinaTnptov „ Thuribuli See also:Wild beast Corona australis Erecavou vortov „ „ Coronae australis Censer, See also:Altar Piscis australis 'IXBuos vortov „ „ Piscis australis Southern Crown See also:Fish regarded these asterisms as unformed stars (aµopgwroc). The next innovator of moment was Johann Bayer, a See also:German astronomer, who published a Uranometria in 1603, in which twelve constellations, all in the southern hemisphere, were added to Ptolemy's See also:forty-eight, viz. See also:Apis (or Musca) (See also:Bee), Avis Indica (Bird of See also:Paradise), See also:Chameleon, Dorado (See also:Sword-fish), Grus (See also:Crane), Hydrus (Water-snake), See also:Indus (See also:Indian), Pavo (See also:Peacock), See also:Phoenix, Piscis volans (Flying fish), See also:Toucan, Triangulum australe. According to W. See also:Lynn (See also:Observatory, 1886, p. 255), Bayer adapted this See also:part of his catalogue from the observations of the Dutch navigator Petrus Theodori (or Pieter Dirchsz Keyser), who died in 1596 off See also:Java. The Coelum stellarum Christianum of See also:Julius See also:Schiller (1627) is noteworthy for the See also:attempt made to replace the names connoting mythological and See also:pagan ideas by the names of apostles, See also:saints, popes, bishops, and other dignitaries of the See also: In 1690 two See also:posthumous works of Johann See also:Hevelius (161I-1687), the Firmamentum sobiescianum and Prodromus astronomiae, added several new constellations to the list, viz. Canes venatici (the Greyhounds), Lacerta (the See also:Lizard), Leo minor (Little Lion), See also:Lynx, Sextans Uraniae, Scutum or Clypeus Sobieskii (the See also:shield of Sobieski), Vulpecula et Anser (See also:Fox and See also:Goose), See also:Cerberus, Camelopardus (See also:Giraffe), and Monoceros (See also:Unicorn); the last two were originally due to Jacobus Bartschius. In 1679 See also:Augustine Royer introduced the most interesting of the constellations of the southern hemisphere, the Crux australis or Southern See also:Cross. He also suggested Nubes major, Nubes minor, and Lilium, and re-named Canes venatici the river
See also:Jordan, and Vulpecula et Anser the river See also:Tigris, but these innovations met with no approval. The Magellanic clouds, a collection of nebulae, stars and star-clusters in the neighbourhood of the See also:south See also:pole, were so named by Hevelius in honour of the navigator See also: See also: Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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