Ancient Skies: Constellation Mythology of the Greeks

by David Weston Marshall

Overview

Look to the sky and see the stories in the stars

The stars and constellations are among the few remaining objects that appear to us just as they appeared to our distant ancestors. From anywhere on Earth, a person may view the celestial panorama simply by stepping outside at night and gazing upward.

This non- fiction narrative presents the tales of the forty- eight classical constellations, compiled from literature spanning a thousand years from Homer (c. 800 BC) to Claudius Ptolemy (c. 150 AD). These age- old tales have captured the human imagination from ancient times to the present, and through them we can examine the early practical astronomy, philosophical speculation on the cosmos, and fundamental moral beliefs of much of Western civilization.

Illustrations and star charts carefully reconstructed from ancient sources lend a visual element and immerse the reader in the world of ancient cosmology and constellation mapping. Through Marshall’s research and storytelling, Ancient Skies brings the belief systems of the classical world to shining life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682682111
Publisher:	Countryman Press, The
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	744,235
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

David W. Marshall, PhD, is a historian and archivist on the faculty of Texas Tech University, with 34 years of experience as a researcher, instructor, professor and archivist. He is the author of Mountain Man: John Colter, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the Call of the American West (Countryman Press, 2016). He lives in Lorenzo, Texas. 

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Part 1 The Ancient Constellations 23

1 The Value of Devotion 29

Auriga, Capricornus, Pisces, Piscis Austrinus, Delphinus, Aquila, Aquarius, Ara

2 Virtue, Loved and Lost 51

Virgo, Sagittarius, Corona Australis, Centaurus, Lupus, Triangulum, Corvus, Crater

3 Woeful Deeds of the Wanton Gods 73

Ursa Major, Bootes, Ursa Minor, Cygnus, Taurus, Corona Borealis

4 The Price of Arrogance 91

Orion, Scorpius, Libra, Lepus, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Eridanus

5 An Age of Heroes 109

Perseus, Andromeda, Cetus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, Equuleus, Draco, Hercules, Hydra, Leo, Cancer, Sagitta

6 The Noble Argonauts 133

Aries, Argo Navis, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Serpens, Gemini

Part 2 The Modern Constellations 157

7 Filling in the Celestial Sphere 163

8 Modern Misrepresentations of the Ancient Constellations 175

Part 3 Farming, Shepherding, and Sailing by the Stars 181

9 The Ancient Celestial Calendar 183

10 Ancient Navigation 201

Acknowledgments 215

Appendix 1 Greek Constellation, Asterism, and Star Names 217

Appendix 2 Modern Constellation Names 219

Appendix 3 Annual Celestial Events 223

Appendix 4 The Harmonious Whole 225

Appendix 5 Maps 229

Notes 231

Works Cited 255

Index 261