The signs of the Greek Zodiac.docx

The signs of the Greek Zodiac.docx

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ThesignsoftheGreekZodiac

ThesignsoftheGreekZodiac

InancientGreece,thesignsofthegreekzodiacwereidentifiedwithtwelvegroupsofstars（constellations）whichwecanseeinthenightskyatdifferenttimesduringtheyear.Theywerealsoassociatedwithoneofthefourelements-Earth,Air,FireandWater-andbehindeachoneofthemliesafascinatingstory.Asamatteroffact,theworditself,"zodiac",comesfromaGreekwordmeaning"thecircleofanimals"-"animals"referringtoalllivingcreatures.Andindeed,withtheexceptionofLibra,eachoneofthemythsisassociatedwithlivingbeings,eitheranimalsorhumans.

StartingwithAries（theram）inspringandfollowingtheyeararoundthroughsummer,fallandwintertoPisces（thefishes）,thestoriesoftheGreekzodiac'stwelvesignsexplainhoweachgroupofstarsfounditswayintotheheavens.

Ontheimageabove,youcanseethestarformationsofthetwelvesignsinacircle.Clickoneachoneofthemtogototherelevantsectiononthepageandreaditsstory.

Aries（March21-April20）

AriesisthefirstsignoftheGreekzodiac,markingthebeginningofspringandthestartofanewcycleoflife.

ThestoryofAriesislinkedwiththemythoftheGoldenRam,whichsavedtwokids,abrotherandasister,frombeingsacrificedinordertoappeasethegods.

ClickheretoreadallaboutthefascinatingstoryofJason,theargonautsandthegreathardshipstheyhadtoendurewhiletryingtobringthegoldenfleeceoftherambacktoGreece.

OnceJasonhadcompletedhismission,Zeusputtheram'sgoldenfleeceupintheskies,whereitappearstilltodayastheconstellationofAries.

Taurus（April21-May21）

ThenextsignofthegreekzodiacistheconstellationofTaurus（bull）,associatedwiththelegendofTheseusandtheMinotaur.

Accordingtomyth,TheseusvolunteeredtobeoneoftheyouthsfromAthenswhowouldbeofferedasfoodtothehorriblemonsterMinotaur（halfman,halfbull）whostayedinCrete,inthelabyrinth.But,whenhewasthereandwiththehelpofAriadne,thelegendaryheromanagedtokillthebeastandthusrelievehiscityAthensfromtheterriblepunishmentimposedbytheCretankingMinos.

ClickheretoreadallthedetailsofthedeadlyencounterbetweenTheseusandtheMinotaur.

Gemini（May22-June21）

TheconstellationofGeminiisthenextsignofthegreekzodiac.ItislinkedwiththestoryofthetwinbrothersCastorandPolydeuces（Polluxinlatin）.Actually,theywerenottwinsintheordinarysense,sincetheyhaddifferentfathers.

TheirstorystartswhenZeus,kingofthegods,wantedtohaveanaffairwithLeda,thelovelyqueenofSparta.Inordertofoolher,hetransformedhimselfintoabeautifulswan.

Inthecourseoftime,Ledaboretwoeggs:

OneofthemcontainedababygirlnamedHelen（thesameonewholaterwasthecauseoftheTrojanWar）andababyboycalledPollux.ThesetwowerethedivinechildrenofZeus.

Theothereggopeneduptorevealanothergirlandboy,Clytemnestra（wholaterbecamethewifeofAgamemenon,themilitaryleaderoftheGreeksintheTrojanWar）andCastor.ThesewerethemortalchildrenofkingTyndareus,thelegitimatehusbandofLeda.

Despitethefactthatonebrotherwasdivineandtheothermortal,thetwinsCastorandPolluxgrewtobeinseparable.Theydideverythingtogetherandtheylovedeachotherdearly.

Becausetheyweresoclose,theywerecalledbyonename;theDioscuri.Astheyweregrowing,theybothlovedallkindsofsport.Polluxwasparticularlygoodatboxing,whileCastorwasrenownedforhisskillanddaringonhorseback.

WhenJasonwasrecruitingtheArgonautstojoinhiminhisquestoftheGoldenFleece,theDioscurieagerlyacceptedtheinvitation.

Duringtheexpedition,theybecamefamousfortheirabilitytocalmtheroughseas,whichonceortwicehadthreatenedtocapsizetheArgo.Poseidon,thegodoftheseas,hadmadethetwinbrothersjointsaviorsofshipwreckedsailorsandgrantedthemthepowertosendfavorablewindswhenevertheywished.

Eventothisday,thesightofthestarsoftheDioscuriintheskyisregardedbysailorsasanomenofgoodluck.

Unfortunately,followingabitterfightthatthetwinshadwithotherwarriors,CastorwaskilledandwassummonedtotheUnderworld.

PolluxwasheartbrokenandprayedtoalmightyZeustotakehislifeaswell,forhewouldnotbeartolivewithouthisbrother.

WhenZeusinvitedtojoinhimandtherestoftheOlympiansonOlympus,Polluxdeclinedsayingthathewouldnotliketoliveforever,whilehisbelovedbrotherwasdead.

Zeuswassotouchedbythetwin'sloveandaffectionforhisbrotherthathearrangedforthemtobetogetheragain.TheycoulddividetheirtimebetweentheheavensandtheUnderworld,spendingonedayhighupinOlympusandthenextdaybeneaththeearth,intherealmofHades.

Infurtherrecognitionoftheirbrotherlylove,hesettheirimagesamongthestarsastheconstellationofGemini,sothattheywouldneverbeagainseparated.Theystandoutastwoequallybrightstarsinaconstellationofweakerstars.

Cancer（June22-July23）

TheconstellationofthegreekzodiacknownasCancer（Crab）,islinkedwiththesecondlaborofthemightyheroHercules,whenhewasassignedbyEurystheustokillLernaHydra,ahorriblewatersnakewithahundredheads.

Asthestorygoes,inthemidstofHercules'struggle,Hera,whowasthehero'sworstenemy,orderedagiantcrabtogoandhelptheHydrabydiggingitsclawsintoHercules'foot.

Howlingwithpain,theherostampedonthecrabfuriously,crushingittodeath.

Hera,beinggratefulforitssupportandinrecognitionofitsattempttohelpher,honoredthecrabbyplacingitsimageamongthestars,astheconstellationofCancer.

Leo（July24-August23）

Leo,thefifthconstellationofthegreekzodiac,islinkedwithHercules'veryfirstlabor,thecaptureoftheNemeanLion.

Accordingtothemyth,Herculesfinallymanagedtokillthebeastbystranglingittodeath.Then,heskinnedthelionandtookitspelttowearit.Hewasthenquiteprotectedfromhisenemies,astheskincouldnotbepenetratedfromanyknownweaponofthetimewhethermadeofiron,bronzeorstone.

Afteritsdeath,thefamouslionwasputontheskybyZeus,tobecometheconstellationofLeo.

Virgo（August24-September23）

TheconstellationofVirgoisassociatedwiththestoryofDemeterandherdaughterPersephone.FortheancientGreeks,thestoryofDemeterandPersephonehelpedtoexplainwhytheseasonschange.

TheMythofPersephone

PersephonewastheonlydaughterofDemeter,thegoddessofgrain,agricultureandfertility.

Unfortunatelyforher,Hades,theruleroftheUnderworld,haddreadfulplansforher:

Hewouldstealherinnocenceandvirginityandturnherintohisdreadedqueen.

Theabduction

HadesabductsPersephone

Hades,godoftheunderworld,fellinlovewithPersephoneandwantedherashisbride.DespitehisbrotherZeus'sreservationswhenhesoughthisapproval,hedecidedtoabducther.ZeuswasconcernedaboutthereactionofhermotherDemeter,whowouldcertainlywouldnotconsenttotheprospectofherbeloveddaughterbecomingqueenoftheUnderworld.

Theabductionoftheinnocentmaidenwasquitespectacular:

ShewasgatheringflowersinaplainsomewherinSicily,whenHadessuddenlyappeared,thunderingacrosstheplaininhisfour-horsechariot.

Beforeanyofthegirl'scompanionsrealizedwhatwashappening,thegodswoopeddownswiftlyandsnatchedthepoorgirlfromherarm.

Despiteherscreamingandpleas,nooneelsecouldhearher.TheearthopenedupbeforeHades'schariotandthepowerfulhorsesdrovedownintothechasm.Astheybothdisappearedintothedarkdepths,theholeclosedupbehindthem.

Demeter'sdesperatesearchforherdaughter

ARenaissancepaintingdepictingtheabductionofPersephone

WhenDemetercametocollectPersephone,shesoonrealizedthatnotraceofhercouldbefound.

Distraughtanddesperate,shesearchedhighandlowforherdaughter.Shetraveledtothefarthestcornersoftheearth,searchingforninefulldaysandnightswithouteverstoppingtoeat,drink,bathe,orrest.Asshewasroamingthelands,shedestroyedcropsandlivestocks,threateningtomaketheearthbarrenforeverandthusdestroyallofhumankind,incaseshewouldnotfindherdaughter.

Finally,onthetenthday,goddessHecatetoldthegriefstrickenmotherthatPersephonehadbeencarriedaway,butshedidnotknowtheidentityofherabductor.

Tofindtheanswerastowhowastheculprit,DemeterwenttogodHelius,whosaweverythingthathappenedonthefaceoftheearth.Heliusindeedtoldherwhathappened,but,ontheotherhand,hetriedtoconvinceherthatHadeswouldnotbeanunfithusbandforherdaughter.

Enragedtofindoutaboutthetruth,Demeterremainedrelentlessinherpursuit,horrifiedattheprospectofHadestakingawayherdaughter.RealizingthatZeuswasapossibleaccompliceintheabduction,sherefusedtoreturntoOlympus.Instead,sheroamedtheearthintheguiseofamortal,forbiddingthetreestobearfruitandtheearthtonurturevegetableandfruit.

AfullyearpassedbyandZeusbecamerestlessthat,ifheletDemeterpersisitinherpursuit,allhumankindwouldstarvetodeath.So,hedecidedtosendtoherallthegodsandgoddessesofOlympustobegherchangehermind.

Afterherealizedthatallhiseffortsweremadeinvain,thealmightyrulerofOlympuspromisedtoDemeterthathehimselfwouldmakesurethatPersephonewouldreturntoher.

Adealisstruck

Persephoneeatingthepomegranate

GodHermes,summonedbyZeus,raceddo