Aquarius - Revision history

Sushoff: /* Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10) */

2026-02-27T18:42:45Z

Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:42, 27 February 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
	\|~~Tau 11~~		\|Cap 17 1/2
	\|~~Tau 29~~		\|Aqr 15
	\|~~Leo 17~~		\|Ari 3
	\|~~Vir 11~~		\|Tau 6 1/2
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
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	\|-		\|-
	\|star		\|star
	\|the ~~bright~~ one in the ~~hind foot~~		\|the front one of those in the left hand
	\|the ~~southernmost~~ of ~~the bright ones~~ in the ~~head~~		\|the rear one of those in the jug
	\|		\|
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|duration		\|duration
	\| colspan="4" \|1 1/2 hours = 90 min = ~~22 1~~/2°		\| colspan="4" \|2 1/8 hours = 127 min = 31 7/8°
	\|}		\|}

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-27T17:56:14Z

Hipparchus

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:56, 27 February 2026
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	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

			====== Rising (Lib III Cap III §8) ======
			<blockquote>The Rising of ...</blockquote>
			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+
			!
			! colspan="2" \|east
			! colspan="2" \|south
			\|-
			!
			!lam1
			!lam2
			!lam1
			!lam2
			\|-
			\|
			\|Cap 6
			\|Aqr 20 1/2
			\|Lib27
			\|Sgr 7
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|star
			\|the front one of those in the left hand
			\|the bright one in the right foot
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|duration
			\| colspan="4" \|2 2/3 hours = 160 min = 40 degree
			\|}

			====== Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10) ======
			{\| class="wikitable"
			!
			! colspan="2" \|west
			! colspan="2" \|south
			\|-
			!
			!lam1
			!lam2
			!lam1
			!lam2
			\|-
			\|
			\|Tau 11
			\|Tau 29
			\|Leo 17
			\|Vir 11
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|star
			\|the bright one in the hind foot
			\|the southernmost of the bright ones in the head
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|duration
			\| colspan="4" \|1 1/2 hours = 90 min = 22 1/2°
			\|}

			====== Stars Mentioned ======
			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+
			!
			!Greek
			!German
			!English
			!ident.
			!src
			!
			!lam_culm
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap V §10
			\|rising, east, first
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap V §10
			\|rising, east, last
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap VI §2
			\|setting CrB, south, last
			\|Psc 13.5
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap VI §13
			\|setting Aql, south, first
			\|Ari 2
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib III Cap I §9
			\|rising Ori, south, last
			\|Psc 13
			\|}

	===== Hyginus, Astronomica =====		===== Hyginus, Astronomica =====

Sushoff at 10:39, 18 February 2026

2026-02-18T10:39:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:39, 18 February 2026
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	This image was, of course, incomprehensible to every other culture. For the Greeks, wisdom was a goddess, not a god. The image of two rivers flowing from a man's shoulders was not accessible to them; it had to be reinterpreted and a myth invented to explain it.		This image was, of course, incomprehensible to every other culture. For the Greeks, wisdom was a goddess, not a god. The image of two rivers flowing from a man's shoulders was not accessible to them; it had to be reinterpreted and a myth invented to explain it.

	This not only clarifies the name of the figure as ‘Aquarius’, but also builds a bridge to the Greek Deucalion, for Deucalion is the Greek Noah and the Babylonian god Ea is responsible for his ‘inspiration’ to build an ark.		This not only clarifies the name of the figure as ‘Aquarius’, but also builds a bridge to the Greek Deucalion, for Deucalion is the 'Greek Noah' and the Babylonian god Ea is responsible for his ‘inspiration’ to build an ark.

	The extremely positive connotation of the god represented by Aquarius is probably also the explanation for the numerous positive star names in Arabic. Although the origin of these names can no longer be directly proven according to Arabist Paul Kunitzsch, it seems reasonable to attribute names such as ‘happiness of the king’ and ‘happiness of the happiest’ for α and β Aquarii (as well as many other combinations with the word ‘happiness’) to Babylonian interpretations of the figure.		The extremely positive connotation of the god represented by Aquarius is probably also the explanation for the numerous positive star names in Arabic. Although the origin of these names can no longer be directly proven according to Arabist Paul Kunitzsch, it seems reasonable to attribute names such as ‘happiness of the king’ and ‘happiness of the happiest’ for α and β Aquarii (as well as many other combinations with the word ‘happiness’) to Babylonian interpretations of the figure.

Sushoff: /* General History[1] */

2026-02-18T10:38:42Z

General History[1]

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:38, 18 February 2026
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	Eratosthenes writes that Aquarius probably got his name from the activity he is depicted performing: ‘He stands there with a wine jug in his hand and pours out a generous measure of liquid.’ What remains of Eratosthenes' text attests to a certain uncertainty about the nature of this liquid. If it is a wine jug, one might almost think that he is pouring fermented grape juice, but Eratosthenes does not mention this directly. He only reports that some of his contemporaries thought that this was Ganymede, the cupbearer of the gods. Ganymede was abducted by Zeus because of his beauty and, because of his good service, was deemed worthy by the gods to attain immortality. As cupbearer, he now pours out the nectar drunk by the gods in heaven.		Eratosthenes writes that Aquarius probably got his name from the activity he is depicted performing: ‘He stands there with a wine jug in his hand and pours out a generous measure of liquid.’ What remains of Eratosthenes' text attests to a certain uncertainty about the nature of this liquid. If it is a wine jug, one might almost think that he is pouring fermented grape juice, but Eratosthenes does not mention this directly. He only reports that some of his contemporaries thought that this was Ganymede, the cupbearer of the gods. Ganymede was abducted by Zeus because of his beauty and, because of his good service, was deemed worthy by the gods to attain immortality. As cupbearer, he now pours out the nectar drunk by the gods in heaven.

	According to Ovid's Fasti, the liquid that is poured out is a mixture of nectar and water, while Aratus leaves no doubt that it is water. He writes in verses 389 to 399 that faint stars ‘float’ in the middle between the monster (~~Ketos~~) and the Southern Fish, which are nameless but appear like a small splash of water here and there next to the right hand of the illustrious Aquarius. Aratos calls these numerous small stars in the space between Ketos, Pisces and Aquarius ‘the water’. For many researchers, it is a mystery what the poet might have meant here, because the constellation of water is not documented anywhere else.		According to Ovid's Fasti, the liquid that is poured out is a mixture of nectar and water, while Aratus leaves no doubt that it is water. He writes in verses 389 to 399 that faint stars ‘float’ in the middle between the monster ([[Cetus]]) and the Southern Fish ([[Piscis Austrinus]]), which are nameless but appear like a small splash of water here and there next to the right hand of the illustrious Aquarius. Aratos calls these numerous small stars in the space between the Ketos ([[Cetus]]), [[Pisces]] and Aquarius ‘the water’ ([[Hydor]]). For many researchers, it is a mystery what the poet might have meant here, because the constellation of water is not documented anywhere else.

	It suggests that this refers to the large space without constellations that connects the watery constellations. The poet mentions two bright stars in this area, Diphda (β Ceti) and Fomalhaut (α PsA). Between them splashes the spout of Aquarius, consisting of numerous groups of two and three faint stars that could indeed look like splashes of water. On the Farnese Atlas, the spout of Aquarius is depicted as a winding line. Together with the band of Pisces and the river Eridanus, it frames an area of faint stars, which are probably the Roman sculptor's interpretation of the mysterious constellation ‘the water’ mentioned only by Aratus.		It suggests that this refers to the large space without constellations that connects the watery constellations. The poet mentions two bright stars in this area, [[Diphda]] (β Ceti) and [[Fomalhaut]] (α PsA). Between them splashes the spout of Aquarius, consisting of numerous groups of two and three faint stars that could indeed look like splashes of water. On the Farnese Atlas, the spout of Aquarius is depicted as a winding line. Together with the band of [[Pisces]] and the river [[Eridanus]], it frames an area of faint stars, which are probably the Roman sculptor's interpretation of the mysterious constellation ‘the water’ mentioned only by Aratus.

	In truth, the figure of Aquarius was already incomprehensible in Greece. The zodiac had been adopted from Babylon before the 4th century BC, and consequently all the figures in the zodiac are originally Babylonian.		In truth, the figure of Aquarius was already incomprehensible in Greece. The zodiac had been adopted from Babylon before the 4th century BC, and consequently all the figures in the zodiac are originally Babylonian.

Sushoff at 10:33, 18 February 2026

2026-02-18T10:33:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:33, 18 February 2026
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	----		----
	[[File:Aquarius (aqr).tiff\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Aqr star chart as defined since the 1920s (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]		[[File:Aquarius (aqr).tiff\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Aqr star chart as defined since the 1920s (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. It is one of the 48 constellations handed down in the Almagest tradition, among them one of those that were taken over from Mesopotamian models.

	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==

Sushoff: /* Etymology and History */

2026-02-18T10:32:08Z

Etymology and History

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 ==Etymology and History==
 === Origin of Constellation ===
 ==== Babylonian ====
 ==== Greco-Roman ====

Sushoff: /* Etymology and History */

2026-02-18T10:24:11Z

Etymology and History

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:24, 18 February 2026
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	== Mythology ==		== Mythology ==

			=== Greek ===
			Ganymede was the son of King Tros, who gave Troy its name. He was considered the most beautiful youth in the world, which did not go unnoticed by the gods. According to one version of the myth, Zeus either transformed himself into an eagle and carried Ganymede up to heaven or sent an eagle to do the job. According to another version, the goddess of dawn, Eos, desired the beautiful man and therefore abducted him, whereupon Zeus stole him away from her. Regardless of which deity of the Greek pantheon snatched the mortal man first, he was the favourite of all the gods, served as their cupbearer, and they granted him immortality.

			This myth was very popular in Greece and Rome, as the young man sooner or later ends up with Zeus, thereby legitimising or at least approving of pederasty. This form of homosexuality refers exclusively to young men: it was considered an honour for a young man to be the passive partner in homosexual intercourse with an older man, especially a teacher or patron. Same-sex love among young men was also tolerated, whereas among older men it was considered rather indecent.

			The cupbearer of the gods had been made immortal as a young man, was often seen as frivolous, and was desired by men and women alike.

			=== Roman ===
			Nevertheless, there is an alternative myth: in the 1st century, Germanicus created a Roman adaptation of Aratus, approximately 400 years after the original work and at the time of Augustus' moral laws. He does not identify Aquarius as a sex icon, but with Deucalion, the mythological man who survived the flood and from whom modern humanity is descended.

			Deucalion was commissioned by the gods to build a ship to save the species from the flood. When he and his wife Pyrrha went ashore after the flood, there were no other humans left. As they descended from the mountain, they threw stones behind them, and the stones they threw turned into men and women. Thus, the earth was repopulated.

			=== Babylonian ===
			The Babylonian water deity, the god Ea, was the god who indirectly saved humanity from the Flood: the Flood stories all go back to a Sumerian original and therefore always have the same basic pattern: the gods or a god plan to destroy humanity, whereby a selected human couple can save themselves and many animal couples in a specially built giant ship. In Babylonian mythology, the man who builds the ark is called Utnapishtim. He was secretly warned by Ea. Ea does not want to oppose the alliance of the gods, but he also does not want humanity to be wiped out forever. So he tells Utnapishtim's household about the gods' plans for the flood and prays that an ark will be built. Of course, the god of wisdom knows that Utnapishtim is at home and can hear him, but he did not tell him directly and thus did not break his pact with the gods.

	== Weblinks ==		== Weblinks ==

YoulaAzkarrula: /* Almagest Ὕδρος */

2026-02-06T10:14:48Z

Almagest Ὕδρος

Show changes

Sushoff at 13:08, 20 January 2026

2026-01-20T13:08:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:08, 20 January 2026
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			Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
			----
	[[File:Aquarius (aqr).tiff\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Aqr star chart as defined since the 1920s (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]		[[File:Aquarius (aqr).tiff\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Aqr star chart as defined since the 1920s (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].

Sushoff: /* Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation */

2026-01-19T14:33:43Z

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:33, 19 January 2026
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	\|		\|
	\|}		\|}



	=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===		=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===