Hercules - Revision history

YoulaAzkarrula at 02:04, 24 May 2026

2026-05-24T02:04:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:04, 24 May 2026
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	[[Category:Almagest]]		[[Category:Almagest]]
	[[Category:Mesopotamian]]		[[Category:Mesopotamian]]
	[[Category:West Asian]]		[[Category:West Asian]] [[Category:Asian]]
	[[Category:Modern]]		[[Category:Modern]]
	[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]]		[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:Her]]
	[[Category:European]]		[[Category:European]]

IanRidpath: /* Almagest Ἐγγόνασι. */ Typos

2026-05-20T12:55:36Z

Almagest Ἐγγόνασι.: Typos

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:55, 20 May 2026
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	\|		\|
	\|χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἀστέρες κη, ὧν γ’ μεγέθουςξ, δ’ ὕ, εβ,ς γ		\|χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἀστέρες κη, ὧν γ’ μεγέθουςξ, δ’ ὕ, εβ,ς γ
	\|Not counting the latter, 28 stars, 6 of the third ~~magmtude~~, 17 of the fourth, 2 of the fifth, 3 of the sixth		\|{Not counting the latter, 28 stars, 6 of the third magnitude, 17 of the fourth, 2 of the fifth, 3 of the sixth}
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-

IanRidpath: /* Weblinks */ Added Warburg link

2026-05-20T08:23:38Z

Weblinks: Added Warburg link

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:23, 20 May 2026
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	==Weblinks==		==Weblinks==
			* [https://iconographic.warburg.sas.ac.uk/category/vpc-taxonomy-017044 Warburg Institute Iconographic Database – Hercules]
	*

	==References==		==References==

Sushoff at 12:30, 19 May 2026

2026-05-19T12:30:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:30, 19 May 2026
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	[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]]		[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]]
	[[Category:European]]		[[Category:European]]
	~~[[Category:4work]]~~

Sushoff at 12:24, 27 February 2026

2026-02-27T12:24:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:24, 27 February 2026
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	The peculiar position and orientation of the figure raises the suspicion that it is older and perhaps not of Greek origin. There is a hypothesis that a Babylonian mythical creature may have stood here. However, this could only apply to the northern parts of Hercules and only to very early periods, i.e. the Sumerian culture. There is no trace of such a creature in the Babylonian MUL.APIN of the late 2nd millennium, and the Babylonian constellation Canis Major was always located in the southern parts of Hercules.		The peculiar position and orientation of the figure raises the suspicion that it is older and perhaps not of Greek origin. There is a hypothesis that a Babylonian mythical creature may have stood here. However, this could only apply to the northern parts of Hercules and only to very early periods, i.e. the Sumerian culture. There is no trace of such a creature in the Babylonian MUL.APIN of the late 2nd millennium, and the Babylonian constellation Canis Major was always located in the southern parts of Hercules.
	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
	In Greek, the figure is simply called “the kneeling man” and is initially unnamed: Aratos calls it the inscrutable image and knows neither the name of the man whose hardship forces him to his knees nor the reason why he is hanging upside down. Compared to all other constellations, whose heads point north, this figure is surprisingly rotated 180° and its head is next to that of the Serpent Bearer.		<ref>Hoffmann, Susanne M. Wie der Löwe an den Himmel kam. Franckh Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2021</ref>In Greek, the figure is simply called “the kneeling man” and is initially unnamed: Aratos calls it the inscrutable image and knows neither the name of the man whose hardship forces him to his knees nor the reason why he is hanging upside down. Compared to all other constellations, whose heads point north, this figure is surprisingly rotated 180° and its head is next to that of the Serpent Bearer.

	Eratosthenes, on the other hand, states that the kneeling figure is Heracles. This is justified by its proximity to the snake (our constellation Draco), because Heracles' struggle for the apples of the Hesperides is linked to the myth surrounding this snake. The celestial figure presses its knee onto the snake (dragon) and steps on its head with its foot.		Eratosthenes, on the other hand, states that the kneeling figure is Heracles. This is justified by its proximity to the snake (our constellation Draco), because Heracles' struggle for the apples of the Hesperides is linked to the myth surrounding this snake. The celestial figure presses its knee onto the snake (dragon) and steps on its head with its foot.

Sushoff: /* Origin of Constellation */

2026-02-24T19:06:44Z

Origin of Constellation

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:06, 24 February 2026
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	----		----
	[[File:Hercules IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Her star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Hercules IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Her star chart (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]]. The name of the modern constellation is Latinised from Greek "Herakles", a hero in ancient mythology. As the image of the constellation appears strangely turned upside down for the northern observer looking southwards, the image likely has a foreign origin. Possible remote Sumerian sources have been considered, but a comprehensive transformation history with archaeological proof and historical evidence is yet to be written.

	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
			On modern star charts, Heracles is depicted with a lion's skin and club, as described by Eratosthenes. Sometimes the club is entwined by a snake with several dog heads: this is one of the representations of the hellhound Cerberus – in ancient times usually a multi-headed dog, but sometimes also depicted with a snake's tail. According to ancient myth, Heracles fights with it and brings the defeated creature to the upper world as a trophy. In Bayer's Uranometria (1603), Hercules appears to be carrying a wooden branch: this is likely to be monkshood, the poisonous herb that, according to legend, was created when the saliva of the hellhound dripped onto the earth.

	The peculiar position and orientation of the figure raises the suspicion that it is older and perhaps not of Greek origin. There is a hypothesis that a Babylonian mythical creature may have stood here. However, this could only apply to the northern parts of Hercules and only to very early periods, i.e. the Sumerian culture. There is no trace of such a creature in the Babylonian MUL.APIN of the late 2nd millennium, and the Babylonian constellation Canis Major was always located in the southern parts of Hercules.		The peculiar position and orientation of the figure raises the suspicion that it is older and perhaps not of Greek origin. There is a hypothesis that a Babylonian mythical creature may have stood here. However, this could only apply to the northern parts of Hercules and only to very early periods, i.e. the Sumerian culture. There is no trace of such a creature in the Babylonian MUL.APIN of the late 2nd millennium, and the Babylonian constellation Canis Major was always located in the southern parts of Hercules.
	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
			In Greek, the figure is simply called “the kneeling man” and is initially unnamed: Aratos calls it the inscrutable image and knows neither the name of the man whose hardship forces him to his knees nor the reason why he is hanging upside down. Compared to all other constellations, whose heads point north, this figure is surprisingly rotated 180° and its head is next to that of the Serpent Bearer.

			Eratosthenes, on the other hand, states that the kneeling figure is Heracles. This is justified by its proximity to the snake (our constellation Draco), because Heracles' struggle for the apples of the Hesperides is linked to the myth surrounding this snake. The celestial figure presses its knee onto the snake (dragon) and steps on its head with its foot.

			The peculiar position and orientation of the figure raises the suspicion that it is older and perhaps not of Greek origin. There is a hypothesis that a Babylonian mythical creature may have stood here. However, this could only apply to the northern parts of Hercules and only to very early epochs, i.e., Sumerian culture. There is no trace of such a creature in the Babylonian MUL.APIN from the end of the 2nd millennium, and the southern parts of Hercules have always been home to the Babylonian constellation Canis Major.

	==== Babylonian ====		==== Babylonian ====

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-23T16:47:01Z

Hipparchus

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:47, 23 February 2026
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	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

	====== Rising (Lib II Cap V ~~§10~~) ======		====== Rising (Lib II Cap V §3) ======
	<blockquote>The Rising of ...</blockquote>		<blockquote>The Rising of ...</blockquote>
	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	\|}		\|}

	====== Setting (Lib II Cap VI ~~§10~~) ======		====== Setting (Lib II Cap VI §3) ======
	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
	!		!

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-23T16:45:35Z

Hipparchus

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:45, 23 February 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
	\|		\|Vir 11
	\|		\|Sco 7 1/2
	\|		\|Gem 7 1/2
	\|		\|Leo 14
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
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	\|-		\|-
	\|star		\|star
	\|		\|the one in the right foot and the one in the right knee
	\|		\|the one at the end of the left hand
	\|		\|
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|duration		\|duration
	\| colspan="4" \|~~2 1~~/8 hours = ~~127.5~~ min = ~~31 7/8~~ degree		\| colspan="4" \|4 3/5 hours = 276 min = 69 degree
	\|}		\|}

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	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
	\|		\|Sgr 14
	\|		\|Aqr 16
	\|		\|Aqr 23
	\|		\|Tau 7 1/2
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
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	\|-		\|-
	\|star		\|star
	\|		\|the one at the end of the right hand
	\|		\|the one in the left foot
	\|		\|
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|duration		\|duration
	\| colspan="4" \|~~2 2~~/3 hours = ~~160~~ min = ~~40°~~		\| colspan="4" \|4 3/5 hours = 276 min = 69°
	\|}		\|}

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-22T17:44:55Z

Hipparchus

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:44, 22 February 2026
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	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

			====== Rising (Lib II Cap V §10) ======
			<blockquote>The Rising of ...</blockquote>
			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+
			!
			! colspan="2" \|east
			! colspan="2" \|south
			\|-
			!
			!lam1
			!lam2
			!lam1
			!lam2
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|star
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|duration
			\| colspan="4" \|2 1/8 hours = 127.5 min = 31 7/8 degree
			\|}

			====== Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10) ======
			{\| class="wikitable"
			!
			! colspan="2" \|west
			! colspan="2" \|south
			\|-
			!
			!lam1
			!lam2
			!lam1
			!lam2
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|star
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|duration
			\| colspan="4" \|2 2/3 hours = 160 min = 40°
			\|}

			====== 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 =====

YoulaAzkarrula: /* Almagest Ἐγγόνασι. */

2026-02-06T10:53:49Z

Almagest Ἐγγόνασι.

Show changes