Crux - Revision history

Sushoff at 12:07, 27 February 2026

2026-02-27T12:07:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:07, 27 February 2026
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	[[File:Crux IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Crux IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. In antiquity the four main stars were part of the constellation [[Centaurus]]. Specifically, Bayer's ''Uranometria'' 1603 shows a cross superimposed over the hind legs of Centaurus. Bayer certainly adopted this from the globes of Petrus Plancius and Jodocus Hondius. An early mention (and drawing) of the cross from 1516 is preserved in letters by Vespucci's navigator Corsali to their sponsors, the de Medici family from Florence. Therefore, some scholars connect the invention to the "quattro stelle" in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.<ref>Filippo Camerota, »Columbus and Vespucci; Echos of the Commedia in oceanic navigation«, in: '' From Hell to the Empyreum, Dante’s World between Science and Poetry,'' hrsg. von Filippo Camerota, Exhibition Catalog: Museo Galileo, Florence 2021, S. 104-5.</ref> The practical reason for the invention might have been navigation (triangulation of the celestial south pole).		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. In antiquity the four main stars were part of the constellation [[Centaurus]]. Specifically, Bayer's ''Uranometria'' 1603 shows a cross superimposed over the hind legs of Centaurus.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Hoffmann, Susanne M. Wie der Löwe an den Himmel kam. Franckh Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2021</ref> Bayer certainly adopted this from the globes of Petrus Plancius and Jodocus Hondius. An early mention (and drawing) of the cross from 1516 is preserved in letters by Vespucci's navigator Corsali to their sponsors, the de Medici family from Florence. Therefore, some scholars connect the invention to the "quattro stelle" in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.<ref>Filippo Camerota, »Columbus and Vespucci; Echos of the Commedia in oceanic navigation«, in: '' From Hell to the Empyreum, Dante’s World between Science and Poetry,'' hrsg. von Filippo Camerota, Exhibition Catalog: Museo Galileo, Florence 2021, S. 104-5.</ref> The practical reason for the invention might have been navigation (triangulation of the celestial south pole).

	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
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	==== Corsali ====		==== Corsali ====
	The navigator Corsali is regarded as a very well educated man who was proficient in both the Latin language and astronomy. He was in contact with the de Medici family and his letters<ref>Amerigo Vespucci'', Cronache epistolari, Lettere 1476-1508,'' hrsg. von Leandro Perini, Florenz 2013, S.92</ref> ''Lettera di Andrea Corsali allo Illustrissimo Signore Duca Iuliano de Medici, Venuta Dellindia del Mese di Octobre Nel M.D.XVI28F29'' (Letters from Andrea Corsali to the Most Reverend Sir Iuliano di Medici, arrived from India in October 1516)<ref>Ian Ridpath, [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/crux.html Star Tales, Crux (Online Edition)]</ref> contain an early description and drawing of the constellation Crux. Significantly, both the de Medici family and Corsali came from Florence: Corsali was born in a smaller town only 20 kilometres southwest of the city.		The navigator Corsali is regarded as a very well educated man who was proficient in both the Latin language and astronomy. He was in contact with the de Medici family and his letters<ref>Amerigo Vespucci'', Cronache epistolari, Lettere 1476-1508,'' hrsg. von Leandro Perini, Florenz 2013, S.92</ref> ''Lettera di Andrea Corsali allo Illustrissimo Signore Duca Iuliano de Medici, Venuta Dellindia del Mese di Octobre Nel M.D.XVI28F29'' (Letters from Andrea Corsali to the Most Reverend Sir Iuliano di Medici, arrived from India in October 1516)<ref name=":1">Ian Ridpath, [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/crux.html Star Tales, Crux (Online Edition)]</ref> contain an early description and drawing of the constellation Crux. Significantly, both the de Medici family and Corsali came from Florence: Corsali was born in a smaller town only 20 kilometres southwest of the city.

	The formulation that Ridpath quotes above is strongly reminiscent of the formulation of the Florentine Dante Alighieri<ref>Vita and Works of Dante Alighieri, provided by the Italian Dante Society https://www.danteonline.it/index.html</ref><ref>Dante's Works online, provided by the Italian Dante Society: https://www.danteonline.it/opere/</ref> in his Comedia (Purg. I 23-24):<ref name=":0">[https://www.danteonline.it/opere/index.php?opera=Commedia%20-%20ed.%20Petrocchi Dante's Comedia , provided by the Italian Dante Society] </ref><blockquote>		The formulation that Ridpath quotes above is strongly reminiscent of the formulation of the Florentine Dante Alighieri<ref>Vita and Works of Dante Alighieri, provided by the Italian Dante Society https://www.danteonline.it/index.html</ref><ref>Dante's Works online, provided by the Italian Dante Society: https://www.danteonline.it/opere/</ref> in his Comedia (Purg. I 23-24):<ref name=":0">[https://www.danteonline.it/opere/index.php?opera=Commedia%20-%20ed.%20Petrocchi Dante's Comedia , provided by the Italian Dante Society] </ref><blockquote>

IanRidpath: Copy edit and corrected typos

2026-02-15T10:48:17Z

Copy edit and corrected typos

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:48, 15 February 2026
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	[[File:Crux IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Crux IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. In antiquity the four stars were part of the constellation [[Centaurus]]. Specifically, Bayer's Uranometria 1603 shows a ~~superimposition of~~ the ~~images~~ of Centaurus ~~and a cross~~. Bayer certainly adopted this from Petrus Plancius and ~~Joducus~~ Hondius~~, but their globes and maps have not survived~~. ~~The earliest~~ mention (and drawing) of the cross is preserved in letters by Vespucci's navigator Corsali to their sponsors, the de Medici family from Florence. Therefore, ~~many~~ scholars connect the invention to the "quattro stelle" in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.<ref>Filippo Camerota, »Columbus and Vespucci; Echos of the Commedia in oceanic navigation«, in: '' From Hell to the Empyreum, Dante’s World between Science and Poetry,'' hrsg. von Filippo Camerota, Exhibition Catalog: Museo Galileo, Florence 2021, S. 104-5.</ref> The practical reason for the invention might have been navigation (triangulation of the celestial south pole).		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. In antiquity the four main stars were part of the constellation [[Centaurus]]. Specifically, Bayer's ''Uranometria'' 1603 shows a cross superimposed over the hind legs of Centaurus. Bayer certainly adopted this from the globes of Petrus Plancius and Jodocus Hondius. An early mention (and drawing) of the cross from 1516 is preserved in letters by Vespucci's navigator Corsali to their sponsors, the de Medici family from Florence. Therefore, some scholars connect the invention to the "quattro stelle" in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.<ref>Filippo Camerota, »Columbus and Vespucci; Echos of the Commedia in oceanic navigation«, in: '' From Hell to the Empyreum, Dante’s World between Science and Poetry,'' hrsg. von Filippo Camerota, Exhibition Catalog: Museo Galileo, Florence 2021, S. 104-5.</ref> The practical reason for the invention might have been navigation (triangulation of the celestial south pole).

	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
	[[File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).]]The stars of this figure were already recorded in ancient star catalogues, but no Christian symbol could be placed in the sky before the invention of Christianity. In antiquity, the stars belonged to the centaur ([[Centaurus]]), forming its hind ~~leg~~.		[[File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).]]The stars of this figure were already recorded in ancient star catalogues, but no Christian symbol could be placed in the sky before the invention of Christianity. In antiquity, the stars belonged to the centaur ([[Centaurus]]), forming its hind legs.

	During the Portuguese voyages to India and the South Seas, the stars were used for navigation. The hind ~~leg~~ of the centaur was already pointing to the south celestial pole at the beginning of the 16th century and ~~was~~ therefore quite suitable for navigation. Andreas Corsali, an Italian who was travelling for the Medici merchant family and sailed from Lisbon to India in 1516, described the four stars as an incomparably beautiful celestial sign. No earlier mention of this figure is known.		During the Portuguese voyages to India and the South Seas, the stars were used for navigation. The hind legs of the centaur was already pointing to the south celestial pole at the beginning of the 16th century and were therefore quite suitable for navigation. Andreas Corsali, an Italian who was travelling for the Medici merchant family and sailed from Lisbon to India in 1516, described the four stars as an incomparably beautiful celestial sign. No earlier mention of this figure is known.

	For Corsali, asterism was initially a navigational aid, but Christian cartographers and astronomers adopted this figure as a constellation of its own on their globes and maps. The idea obviously caught the spirit of the times, as Petrus Plancius had also renamed the Greek ship Argo Noah's Ark around 1600. Even before he was aware of the navigational aid, he had suggested grouping other stars in the southern sky to form a cross. This is where the desire for Christianisation and the necessities of ocean navigation came together. The constellation of the cross was finally introduced at the latest with its adoption in Bayer's Uranometria in 1603, which still provides one of the standard nomenclatures today.		For Corsali and others, the asterism was initially a navigational aid, but Christian cartographers and astronomers adopted this figure as a constellation of its own on their globes and maps. The idea obviously caught the spirit of the times, as Petrus Plancius had also renamed the Greek ship Argo Noah's Ark around 1600. Even before he was aware of the navigational aid, he had suggested grouping other stars in the southern sky to form a cross. This is where the desire for Christianisation and the necessities of ocean navigation came together. The constellation of the cross was finally introduced at the latest with its adoption in Bayer's ''Uranometria'' in 1603, which still provides one of the standard nomenclatures today.

	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
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	==== Corsali ====		==== Corsali ====
	The navigator Corsali is regarded as a very well educated man who was proficient in both the Latin language and astronomy. He was in contact with the de Medici family and his letters<ref>Amerigo Vespucci'', Cronache epistolari, Lettere 1476-1508,'' hrsg. von Leandro Perini, Florenz 2013, S.92</ref> ''Lettera di Andrea Corsali allo Illustrissimo Signore Duca Iuliano de Medici, Venuta Dellindia del Mese di Octobre Nel M.D.XVI28F29'' (Letters from Andrea Corsali to the Most Reverend Sir Iuliano di Medici, arrived from India in October 1516)<ref>Ian Ridpath, [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/crux.html Star Tales, Crux (Online Edition)]</ref> contain ~~the first evidence~~ of the constellation Crux. Significantly, both the de Medici family and Corsali came from Florence: Corsali was born in a smaller town only 20 kilometres southwest of the city.		The navigator Corsali is regarded as a very well educated man who was proficient in both the Latin language and astronomy. He was in contact with the de Medici family and his letters<ref>Amerigo Vespucci'', Cronache epistolari, Lettere 1476-1508,'' hrsg. von Leandro Perini, Florenz 2013, S.92</ref> ''Lettera di Andrea Corsali allo Illustrissimo Signore Duca Iuliano de Medici, Venuta Dellindia del Mese di Octobre Nel M.D.XVI28F29'' (Letters from Andrea Corsali to the Most Reverend Sir Iuliano di Medici, arrived from India in October 1516)<ref>Ian Ridpath, [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/crux.html Star Tales, Crux (Online Edition)]</ref> contain an early description and drawing of the constellation Crux. Significantly, both the de Medici family and Corsali came from Florence: Corsali was born in a smaller town only 20 kilometres southwest of the city.

	The formulation that Ridpath quotes above is strongly reminiscent of the formulation of the Florentine Dante Alighieri<ref>Vita and Works of Dante Alighieri, provided by the Italian Dante Society https://www.danteonline.it/index.html</ref><ref>Dante's Works online, provided by the Italian Dante Society: https://www.danteonline.it/opere/</ref> in his Comedia (Purg. I 23-24):<ref name=":0">[https://www.danteonline.it/opere/index.php?opera=Commedia%20-%20ed.%20Petrocchi Dante's Comedia , provided by the Italian Dante Society] </ref><blockquote>		The formulation that Ridpath quotes above is strongly reminiscent of the formulation of the Florentine Dante Alighieri<ref>Vita and Works of Dante Alighieri, provided by the Italian Dante Society https://www.danteonline.it/index.html</ref><ref>Dante's Works online, provided by the Italian Dante Society: https://www.danteonline.it/opere/</ref> in his Comedia (Purg. I 23-24):<ref name=":0">[https://www.danteonline.it/opere/index.php?opera=Commedia%20-%20ed.%20Petrocchi Dante's Comedia , provided by the Italian Dante Society] </ref><blockquote>
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	==== Almagest ====		==== Almagest ====
	In Ptolemy's Almagest, the stars of Crux form the hind ~~leg~~ of [[Centaurus]].		In Ptolemy's Almagest, the stars of Crux form the hind legs of [[Centaurus]].
	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
	!id		!id
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	\|31		\|31
	\|ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγκύλης τοῦ δεξιοῦ ποδός		\|ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγκύλης τοῦ δεξιοῦ ποδός
	\|The star on the knee-bend of the right [~~bind~~] leg		\|The star on the knee-bend of the right [hind] leg
	\|γ Cru		\|γ Cru
	\|-		\|-
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	\|34		\|34
	\|ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ βατραχίου τοῦ αὐτοῦ ποδός		\|ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ βατραχίου τοῦ αὐτοῦ ποδός
	\|The star on the ~~frag~~ of the hoof an the same leg		\|The star on the frog of the hoof on the same leg
	\|α Cru		\|α Cru
	\|-		\|-
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	File:Blaeu1603 Cru+Mus+Cha.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu (1603), the globe that is based on de Houtman's data. RMG		File:Blaeu1603 Cru+Mus+Cha.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu (1603), the globe that is based on de Houtman's data. RMG
	File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.		File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe ~~Gores~~ 159x, probably the first depiction at all.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.
	File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).		File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.

IanRidpath: /* References */ New link

2026-02-15T10:19:23Z

References: New link

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:19, 15 February 2026
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	==== Corsali ====		==== Corsali ====
	The navigator Corsali is regarded as a very well educated man who was proficient in both the Latin language and astronomy. He was in contact with the de Medici family and his letters<ref>Amerigo Vespucci'', Cronache epistolari, Lettere 1476-1508,'' hrsg. von Leandro Perini, Florenz 2013, S.92</ref> ''Lettera di Andrea Corsali allo Illustrissimo Signore Duca Iuliano de Medici, Venuta Dellindia del Mese di Octobre Nel M.D.XVI28F29'' (Letters from Andrea Corsali to the Most Reverend Sir Iuliano di Medici, arrived from India in October 1516)<ref>Ian Ridpath, Star Tales, Online Edition ~~([[Crux~~]])</ref> contain the first evidence of the constellation Crux. Significantly, both the de Medici family and Corsali came from Florence: Corsali was born in a smaller town only 20 kilometres southwest of the city.		The navigator Corsali is regarded as a very well educated man who was proficient in both the Latin language and astronomy. He was in contact with the de Medici family and his letters<ref>Amerigo Vespucci'', Cronache epistolari, Lettere 1476-1508,'' hrsg. von Leandro Perini, Florenz 2013, S.92</ref> ''Lettera di Andrea Corsali allo Illustrissimo Signore Duca Iuliano de Medici, Venuta Dellindia del Mese di Octobre Nel M.D.XVI28F29'' (Letters from Andrea Corsali to the Most Reverend Sir Iuliano di Medici, arrived from India in October 1516)<ref>Ian Ridpath, [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/crux.html Star Tales, Crux (Online Edition)]</ref> contain the first evidence of the constellation Crux. Significantly, both the de Medici family and Corsali came from Florence: Corsali was born in a smaller town only 20 kilometres southwest of the city.

	The formulation that Ridpath quotes above is strongly reminiscent of the formulation of the Florentine Dante Alighieri<ref>Vita and Works of Dante Alighieri, provided by the Italian Dante Society https://www.danteonline.it/index.html</ref><ref>Dante's Works online, provided by the Italian Dante Society: https://www.danteonline.it/opere/</ref> in his Comedia (Purg. I 23-24):<ref name=":0">[https://www.danteonline.it/opere/index.php?opera=Commedia%20-%20ed.%20Petrocchi Dante's Comedia , provided by the Italian Dante Society] </ref><blockquote>		The formulation that Ridpath quotes above is strongly reminiscent of the formulation of the Florentine Dante Alighieri<ref>Vita and Works of Dante Alighieri, provided by the Italian Dante Society https://www.danteonline.it/index.html</ref><ref>Dante's Works online, provided by the Italian Dante Society: https://www.danteonline.it/opere/</ref> in his Comedia (Purg. I 23-24):<ref name=":0">[https://www.danteonline.it/opere/index.php?opera=Commedia%20-%20ed.%20Petrocchi Dante's Comedia , provided by the Italian Dante Society] </ref><blockquote>

Sushoff at 13:18, 20 January 2026

2026-01-20T13:18:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:18, 20 January 2026
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			Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
			----
	[[File:Crux IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Crux IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Crux star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. In antiquity the four stars were part of the constellation [[Centaurus]]. Specifically, Bayer's Uranometria 1603 shows a superimposition of the images of Centaurus and a cross. Bayer certainly adopted this from Petrus Plancius and Joducus Hondius, but their globes and maps have not survived. The earliest mention (and drawing) of the cross is preserved in letters by Vespucci's navigator Corsali to their sponsors, the de Medici family from Florence. Therefore, many scholars connect the invention to the "quattro stelle" in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.<ref>Filippo Camerota, »Columbus and Vespucci; Echos of the Commedia in oceanic navigation«, in: '' From Hell to the Empyreum, Dante’s World between Science and Poetry,'' hrsg. von Filippo Camerota, Exhibition Catalog: Museo Galileo, Florence 2021, S. 104-5.</ref> The practical reason for the invention might have been navigation (triangulation of the celestial south pole).		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. In antiquity the four stars were part of the constellation [[Centaurus]]. Specifically, Bayer's Uranometria 1603 shows a superimposition of the images of Centaurus and a cross. Bayer certainly adopted this from Petrus Plancius and Joducus Hondius, but their globes and maps have not survived. The earliest mention (and drawing) of the cross is preserved in letters by Vespucci's navigator Corsali to their sponsors, the de Medici family from Florence. Therefore, many scholars connect the invention to the "quattro stelle" in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.<ref>Filippo Camerota, »Columbus and Vespucci; Echos of the Commedia in oceanic navigation«, in: '' From Hell to the Empyreum, Dante’s World between Science and Poetry,'' hrsg. von Filippo Camerota, Exhibition Catalog: Museo Galileo, Florence 2021, S. 104-5.</ref> The practical reason for the invention might have been navigation (triangulation of the celestial south pole).

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

2025-05-03T20:38:49Z

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 3 May 2025
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	<gallery>		<gallery>
	File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.		File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.
			File:Blaeu1602 Cha+Mus+Cru.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu's first globe (1602) that is a copy of Plancius/ Hondius (1598). [https://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/360/media-360270/large.jpg RMG]
			File:Blaeu1603 Cru+Mus+Cha.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu (1603), the globe that is based on de Houtman's data. RMG
	File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.		File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.
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	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.
	File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.		File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.
	File:Blaeu1602 Cha+Mus+Cru.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu's first globe (1602) that is a copy of Plancius/ Hondius (1598). [https://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/360/media-360270/large.jpg RMG]
	</gallery>		</gallery>
	==Mythology==		==Mythology==

Sushoff at 20:36, 3 May 2025

2025-05-03T20:36:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:36, 3 May 2025
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	File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.		File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.
	File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.		File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.
	File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).		File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.
	File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.		File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.
			File:Blaeu1602 Cha+Mus+Cru.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu's first globe (1602) that is a copy of Plancius/ Hondius (1598). [https://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/360/media-360270/large.jpg RMG]
	</gallery>		</gallery>
	==Mythology==		==Mythology==

Sushoff at 12:50, 19 April 2025

2025-04-19T12:50:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:50, 19 April 2025
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	===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===		===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===
	<gallery>		<gallery>
			File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.
			File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.
			File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.
	File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).		File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).
			File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.
			File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.
	</gallery>		</gallery>
	==Mythology==		==Mythology==

Sushoff: /* Dante */

2025-04-19T12:12:15Z

Dante

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:12, 19 April 2025
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	It is commonly assumed that his "quattro stelle" are symbols for the four cardinal virtues:		It is commonly assumed that his "quattro stelle" are symbols for the four cardinal virtues:

	* prudence,		* '''prudence,'''
	* justice,		* '''justice,'''
	* valour and		* '''valour''' and
	* temperance.		* '''temperance.'''

	Like many things in Christianity, they can be traced back to much older Greek sources because they are basic human values. For example, they were also described by Aeschylus and Plato. Virgil accompanies Dante throughout his journey to the afterlife, even acting as Dante's guide. As Virgil (died 19 BCE) could not have been baptised a Christian, he is denied paradise according to Christian doctrine. This is one of the many aspects of Christianity that Dante criticizes in his Commedia: these virtues are - as he stresses - universal and not solely Christian.		Like many things in Christianity, they can be traced back to much older Greek sources because they are basic human values. For example, they were also described by Aeschylus and Plato. Virgil accompanies Dante throughout his journey to the afterlife, even acting as Dante's guide. As Virgil (died 19 BCE) could not have been baptised a Christian, he is denied paradise according to Christian doctrine. This is one of the many aspects of Christianity that Dante criticizes in his Commedia: these virtues are - as he stresses - universal and not solely Christian.

Sushoff at 12:11, 19 April 2025

2025-04-19T12:11:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:11, 19 April 2025
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	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
			[[File:CRUX condemnationChapell Jerusalem.jpg\|thumb\|A cross in a Christian chapel with the endpoints marked (Jerusalem).]]

	==== Corsali ====		==== Corsali ====
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	</gallery>		</gallery>
	==Mythology==		==Mythology==
	The cross is actually an ancient instrument of torture and should therefore have no place in the sky. For Christians, however, the cross on which Jesus was nailed symbolises his resurrection and the redemption of all people from their sins. It is a sign of hope, symbolising a new beginning and the start of a better world.		The cross is actually an ancient instrument of torture and should therefore have no place in the sky. <gallery>
			File:CRUX condemnationChapell Jerusalem.jpg\|A cross in a Christian chapel with the endpoints marked (Jerusalem)
			File:Kreuzigungsszene Jerusalem.jpg\|The torture prior to the crucifixion of Jesus
			File:CRUX in Jerusalem.jpg\|Many crosses in the Christian quarter of old town Jerusalem (SMH 2023). Sometimes, the different designs of the crosses indicat different orders.
			</gallery>For Christians, however, the cross on which Jesus was nailed symbolises his resurrection and the redemption of all people from their sins. It is a sign of hope, symbolising a new beginning and the start of a better world.

	The commonly assumed connection of the four points of the cross to the four cardinal virtues can be traced back far beyond Christianity; they are also found in many Greco-Roman philosophies, e.g. prominently in Plato.		The commonly assumed connection of the four points of the cross to the four cardinal virtues can be traced back far beyond Christianity; they are also found in many Greco-Roman philosophies, e.g. prominently in Plato.

Sushoff: /* Dante */

2025-04-19T09:38:17Z

Dante

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:38, 19 April 2025
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	==== Dante ====		==== Dante ====
	[[File:Crux 4Dante stellarium.JPG\|thumb\|Ancient constellation "Centaurus" in Stellarium (Sky Culture: "Almagest") and the horizon of Florence in 1300 CE, the time of Dante Alighieri. Image published in Deutsches Dante-Jahrbuch 2023 (DOI 10.1515/dante-2023-0002), DeGruyter. The feet of the centaur are always below the horizon.]]		[[File:Crux 4Dante stellarium.JPG\|thumb\|Ancient constellation "Centaurus" in Stellarium (Sky Culture: "Almagest") and the horizon of Florence in 1300 CE, the time of Dante Alighieri. Image published in Deutsches Dante-Jahrbuch 2023 (DOI [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/dante-2023-0002/html?lang=de 10.1515/dante-2023-0002]), DeGruyter. The feet of the centaur are always below the horizon.]]
	In his Divine Comedia,<ref name=":0" /> Dante uses the starry sky as a kind of stage set.<ref>Hoffmann, S.M. und Blume, D. (2023): '''„'''’l volger del ciel'''“''' in Deutsches Dante-Jahrbuch: Dante und die Stadt. Kommunale Kultur und literarische Öffentlichkeit. Blume: “Dantes Sterne” (43-53), Hoffmann: “Planetarium Dantis” 1-42 (DOI 10.1515/dante-2023-0002), DeGruyter, 1-53</ref> He refers to it in several of his works like an eternal backdrop. In particular, the realm of his god, which he reaches at the end of his journey to the afterlife in the Comedia, is staged with the splendour of nature's jewellery on the velvet-black tent of the night. They are a perpetual guide on earth and, from Dante's point of view, disappear in hell. If black is the mourning colour of the Christian world, the darkness of the night has an oppressively gloomy effect. However, after a journey to hell, as Dante describes it, the stars appear as a ray of light, showing him that he has now reached a higher level (of realisation or even of consciousness in the encounter with Beatrice).		In his Divine Comedia,<ref name=":0" /> Dante uses the starry sky as a kind of stage set.<ref>Hoffmann, S.M. und Blume, D. (2023): '''„'''’l volger del ciel'''“''' in Deutsches Dante-Jahrbuch: Dante und die Stadt. Kommunale Kultur und literarische Öffentlichkeit. Blume: “Dantes Sterne” (43-53), Hoffmann: “Planetarium Dantis” 1-42 (DOI 10.1515/dante-2023-0002), DeGruyter, 1-53</ref> He refers to it in several of his works like an eternal backdrop. In particular, the realm of his god, which he reaches at the end of his journey to the afterlife in the Comedia, is staged with the splendour of nature's jewellery on the velvet-black tent of the night. They are a perpetual guide on earth and, from Dante's point of view, disappear in hell. If black is the mourning colour of the Christian world, the darkness of the night has an oppressively gloomy effect. However, after a journey to hell, as Dante describes it, the stars appear as a ray of light, showing him that he has now reached a higher level (of realisation or even of consciousness in the encounter with Beatrice).

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 3 May 2025
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	<gallery>		<gallery>
	File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.		File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.
			File:Blaeu1602 Cha+Mus+Cru.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu's first globe (1602) that is a copy of Plancius/ Hondius (1598). [https://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/360/media-360270/large.jpg RMG]
			File:Blaeu1603 Cru+Mus+Cha.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu (1603), the globe that is based on de Houtman's data. RMG
	File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.		File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.
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	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.
	File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.		File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.
	File:Blaeu1602 Cha+Mus+Cru.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu's first globe (1602) that is a copy of Plancius/ Hondius (1598). [https://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/360/media-360270/large.jpg RMG]
	</gallery>		</gallery>
	==Mythology==		==Mythology==

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:36, 3 May 2025
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	File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.		File:Centurus+Lupus Duerer.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Duerer's map (1515) without Crux.
	File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.		File:Cen+Lup Mercator1551.jpg\|Cen+Lup on the Mercator Globe (1551), without Crux.
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Plancius.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Plancius Globe Gores 159x, probably the first depiction at all.
	File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).		File:Cru Bayer1603.jpg\|Crux, The Cross, carefully drawn across the hind legs of The Centaur in Bayer (1603).
	File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.		File:Cen+Lup+Crux Habrecht1621.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Habrecht's (1621) map with Crux.
	File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.		File:Crux inCenLup Royer south.jpg\|Cen+Lup on Royer's planisphere (1679) with Crux.
			File:Blaeu1602 Cha+Mus+Cru.JPG\|Musca, Chamaeleon and Crux on Blaeu's first globe (1602) that is a copy of Plancius/ Hondius (1598). [https://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/360/media-360270/large.jpg RMG]
	</gallery>		</gallery>
	==Mythology==		==Mythology==