Draco

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula, Doris Vickers

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Dra star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

Greece, Delphi, Omphalos at Via Sacra of Delphi (CC BY Berthold Werner).

The omphalos was found in the area to the northeast of the temple of Apollo. It most probably reproduced the form of the omphalos that stand in the adyton. It is regarded as a Hellenistic (or Roman) copy of that omphalos. Archaeological Museum of Delphi. (CC BY SA Zde)

One of the 88 IAU constellations. The ancient constellation depicts a snake coiled around the truly stationary (ecliptic) celestial pole. It is Python, a giant snake that was killed by the god Apollo and buried in the Greek sanctuary at Delphi. There, Apollo whispers through her corpse to the Pythia, a priestess, the famous “Oracle of Delphi.” The (dead) Python writhes around the “navel of the world,” a sacred stone (omphalos) in Delphi. The analogy to the ecliptic pole in the sky is obvious.

Etymology and History

Origin of Constellation

Aratos describes the constellation as a dragon that “coils around and around,” “a thousandfold” and “like a waterfall and a great wonder.” Eratosthenes, on the other hand, calls the constellation “snake,” and this is how it is depicted on the Farnese Globe: only the head of the creature can be seen there—an architectural hole in the globe erased the coils down to the tail. Greek astronomy distinguishes this “giant” snake, which winds around the pole, from the snake of the serpent bearer, but there is no indication that this figure has a dragon-like appearance. In the Leiden Aratea, too, this constellation was more reminiscent of an earthworm. This manuscript dates from the 9th century (Carolingian Empire) and Central Europe; one copy was found in the Netherlands and another in France. However, its drawing style implies a Roman model that is now lost. It can therefore be concluded that the Greek image of the giant snake, which was not a dragon, remained unchanged from Aratos in the 3rd century BCE to the Carolingian Middle Ages.

Babylonian

In Mesopotamian uranography, this region of the sky cannot be reconstructed well because it is circumpolar and therefore no rise and set dates are given. However, it is clear that there were neither dragons nor serpents here: this region of the sky is dedicated to the god of agriculture, Enlil, and his family.

Greco-Roman

Aratos

[45] Between the two Bears, in the likeness of a river, winds a great wonder, the Dragon, writhing around and about at enormous length; on either side of its coil the Bears move, keeping clear of the dark-blue ocean. It reaches over one of them with the tip of its tail, [50] and intercepts the other with its coil. The tip of its tail ends level with the head of the Bear Helice, and Cynosura keeps her head within its coil. The coil winds past her very head, goes as far as her foot, then turns back again and runs upwards. In the Dragon’s head there is not just a single star shining by itself, [56] but two on the temples and two on the eyes, while one below them occupies the jaw-point of the awesome monster. Its head is slanted and looks altogether as if it is inclined towards the tip of Helice’s tail: the mouth and the right temple are in a very straight line with the tip of the tail. [61] The head of the Dragon passes through the point where the end of settings and the start of risings blend with each other. (Kidd 1997)

Eratosthenes

Var. 1 (Ὄφεως): This is the Great Serpent, the one that lies between the two Bears. It is said that this is the one who guarded the golden apples and was killed by Heracles. Hera had charged him with protecting the apples from the Hesperides, and it was she who gave him a place among the constellations. Indeed, Phecydes says that when Zeus married Hera, during the presentation of gifts given to him by the gods, Gaia, The Earth, came to offer her the golden apples. At the sight of them, Hera was dazzled and asked for them to be planted in the orchard of the gods next to Atlas. And as the daughters of Atlas were constantly stealing the apples, she appointed this gigantic snake as guardian. It is easy to see; above it is the figure of Heracles, for Zeus wanted to use this arrangement to flagrantly the memory of the struggle. He has three bright stars on his head and twelve stars on his body, which follow each other at close intervals to the tail and separate the two Bears48. <All in all, fifteen.>

Var. 2 (Ὄφεως): This is the Great Serpent, the one that stretches between the two Bears. It is said that this is the one who guarded the golden apples and who died at the hands of Heracles. Hera had charged him with protecting the orchards and the golden apples against the Hesperides, and it was she who gave him a place among the constellations. In fact, Phecydes that on the occasion of the wedding of Zeus and Hera, during the gifts given by the gods, Gaia, The Earth, came to offer golden apples on their branches. At the sight of them, Hera was dazzled and asked for them to be planted in the orchard of the gods next to Atlas. And as the daughters of Atlas were constantly stealing apples, she appointed this gigantic snake as guardian. It has three bright stars at the tip of its head and twelve stars on the body, which follow each other at close to the tail, separating the two bears. (Pamias and Zucker 2013)

Hyginus, Astronomica

This huge serpent is pointed out as lying between the two Bears. He is said to have guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides, and after Hercules killed him, to have been put by Juno among the stars, because at her instigation Hercules set out for him. He is considered the usual watchman of the Gardens of Juno. Pherecydes says that when Jupiter wed Juno, Terra came, bearing branches with golden applies, and Juno, in admiration, asked Terra to plant them in her gardens near distant Mount Atlas. When Atlas' daughters kept picking the apples from the trees, Juno is said to have placed this guardian there. Proof of this will be the form of Hercules above the dragon, as Eratosthenes shows, so that anyone may know that for this reason in particular it is called the dragon. Some also say this dragon was thrown at Minerva by the Giants, when she fought them. Minerva, however, snatched its twisted form and threw it to the stars, and fixed it at the very pole of heaven. And so to this day it appears with twisted body, as if recently transported to the stars. (Mary Ward 1960)

Almagest Δράκων.

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Δράκουτος ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Draco
1	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς γλώσσης.	The star on the tongue	mu Dra
2	ὁ ἐεν τῷ στόματι.	The star in the mouth	nu Dra
3	ὁ ἐπάνω τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ.	The· star above the eve	bet Dra
4	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς χένυος.	The star on the jaw	xi Dra
5	ὁ ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς.	The star above the head	gam Dra
6	τῶν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ καμπῇ τοῦ τραχήλου ἐπ’ εὐθείας γ’ ὁ βόΘε0ς	The northernmost of the 3 stars in a straight line in the first bend of the neck	39 Dra
	ὁ ψότιος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of these	46 Dra
	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν.	The middle one	45 Dra
	ὁ τούτῳ ἑπόμενος ἀπ’ ἀνατολῆς,	The star to the rear and due east of the latter	omi Dra
	τοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐξῆς ἐπιστροφῇ τετραπλεύρου τῆς προηγουμένης πλευρᾶς ὁ νότιος	The southern star of the [two] forming the advance side of the quadrilateral in the next bend	pi Dra
	ὁ βορειότερος τῆς ἠγουμένης πλευρᾶς.	The more northerly star of the advance side	del Dra
	τῆς ἐπομένης πλευρᾶς ὁ βόρειος.	The northern star of the re!lr side [of the quadrilateral]	eps Dra
	ὁ φότιος τῆς ἐπομένης πλευρᾶς.	The southern star of the rear side	rho Dra
	τοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐφεξῆς καμπῇ τριγώνου ὁ νότιος.	The southern star of [those forming] the triangle in the next bend	sig Dra
	τῶν λοιπῶν τοῦ τριγώνου β ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced of the other two stars of the triangle	ups Dra
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The one to the rear	tau Dra
	τῶν ἐν τῷ ἐξῆς καὶ προηγουμένῳ τριγώνῳ ἡ ὁ ἑπόμενος,	The most advanced of the three stars in the next triangle, which is in advance [ of the last]	psi Dra
	τῶν λοιπῶν τοῦ τριγώνου β’ ὁ νότιος.	The southernmost of the other two forming the triangle	chi Dra
	ὁ βορειότερος τῶν λοιπῶν δύο	The northernmost of the other two	phi Dra
	τῶν πρὸς δύσιο τοῦ τριγώνου β μικρῶν ὁ ἐπόμευος.	The rearmost of the two small stars to the west of the triangle	27 Dra
	ὁ ἠγούμενος αὐτῶν	The one in advance	omega Dra
	τῶν ἐξῆς ἐπ’ εὐθείας γ’ ὁ νοτιώτερος	The southernmost of the riext 3 stars in a straight line	18 Dra
	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν.	The middle one of the three	19 Dra
	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν.	The northernmost of them	zet Dra
	τῶν ἐξῆς πρὸς δυσμὰς β’ ὁ βορειότερος.	The riorthernmost of the next 2 to the west	eta Dra
	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of these	tet Dra
	ὁ τούτωυ πρὸς δυσμὰς ἐν τῇ παρούρῳ ἐπιστροφῇ	The star to the west· of these, in the bend by the tail	iot Dra
	τῶν τούτου ἱκανὸν διεστώτων β’ ὁ προηγούμενος	The advance star of the 2 quite some distance from the latter	10 Dra
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The rear star.of these (two)	alf Dra
	ὁ τούτων ἐχόμενος παρὰ τὴν οὐράν	The star close by these, by the tail	kap Dra
	ὁ λοιπὸς καὶ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς οὐρᾶς	The remaining star, on the tip of the tail	lam Dra
	ἀστέρες λα, ὥν ν μεγέθους ἢ, δ’ ἰς, εε, ς’ β, ὁμοῦ λα	31 stars, 8 of the third magnitude, 16 of the fourth, 5 of the fifth,2 of the sixth

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Eltanin	HIP 87833	Constellation lines (Vertex)	2.23
2	Athebyne	HIP 80331	Constellation lines	2.74
3	Rastaban	HIP 85670	Constellation lines (Vertex)	2.81
4	Altais	HIP 94376	Constellation lines	3.07
5	Aldhibah	HIP 83895	Constellation lines	3.17
6	Edasich	HIP 75458	Constellation lines	3.29
7	χ Draconis	HIP 89937	Constellation lines	3.58
8	Thuban	HIP 68756	Constellation lines	3.68
9	Grumium	HIP 87585	Constellation lines	3.75
10	Giausar	HIP 56211	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.85
11	κ Draconis	HIP 61281	Constellation lines	3.89
12	ϵ Draconis	HIP 97433	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.91
13	θ Draconis	HIP 78527	Constellation lines	4
14	ϕ Draconis	HIP 89908	Constellation lines	4.22
15	τ Draconis	HIP 94648	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.45
16	ρ Draconis	HIP 98702	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.5
17	RR UMi	HIP 73199	Inside the hull	4.54
18	Dziban	HIP 86614	Constellation lines	4.55
19	π Draconis	HIP 95081	Constellation lines	4.59
20	ο Draconis	HIP 92512	Constellation lines	4.636
21	CU Dra	HIP 67627	Inside the hull	4.66
22	Alsafi	HIP 96100	Constellation lines	4.68
23	45 Dra	HIP 90905	Constellation lines	4.761
24	ω Draconis	HIP 86201	Inside the hull	4.77
25	υ Draconis	HIP 92782	Constellation lines	4.814
26	Fafnir	HIP 90344	Inside the hull	4.823
27	-	HIP 82020	Inside the hull	4.837
28	18 Dra	HIP 81660	Inside the hull	4.842
29	ν 2 Draconis	HIP 85829	Inside the hull	4.85
30	19 Dra	HIP 82860	Inside the hull	4.88
31	ν 1 Draconis	HIP 85819	Constellation lines	4.89
32	RX J1724.2+6957	RX J1724.2+6957	Inside the hull	4.89
33	Alrakis	HIP 83608	Constellation lines	4.91
34	15 Dra	HIP 80650	Inside the hull	4.949
35	CQ Dra	HIP 60998	Inside the hull	4.95
36	36 Dra	HIP 89348	Inside the hull	4.987
37	46 Dra	HIP 91755	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.02
38	* b Dra A	HIP 90156	Constellation lines	5.05
39	27 Dra	HIP 85805	Inside the hull	5.074
40	-	HIP 56583	Inside the hull	5.19
41	-	HIP 77277	Inside the hull	5.194
42	26 Dra	HIP 86036	Inside the hull	5.21
43	Taiyi	HIP 63076	Inside the hull	5.225
44	-	HIP 69373	Inside the hull	5.24
45	-	HIP 80161	Inside the hull	5.264
46	-	HIP 81437	Inside the hull	5.28
47	9 Dra	HIP 63432	Inside the hull	5.368
48	-	HIP 79804	Inside the hull	5.4
49	Tianyi	HIP 62423	Inside the hull	5.423
50	ψ 2 Draconis	HIP 87728	Inside the hull	5.43
51	-	HIP 78893	Inside the hull	5.441
52	ψ 1 Draconis B	HIP 86620	Inside the hull	5.53
53	-	HIP 84183	Inside the hull	5.54
54	-	HIP 92969	Inside the hull	5.621
55	-	HIP 76519	Inside the hull	5.627
56	-	HIP 85290	Inside the hull	5.645
57	-	HIP 83608A	Inside the hull	5.66
58	48 Dra	HIP 92997	Inside the hull	5.663
59	-	HIP 84950	Inside the hull	5.677
60	-	HIP 83608B	Inside the hull	5.69
61	-	HIP 75260	Inside the hull	5.712
62	-	HIP 75974	Inside the hull	5.738
63	-	HIP 91315	Inside the hull	5.74
64	Alruba	HIP 86782	Inside the hull	5.76
65	-	HIP 66798	Inside the hull	5.85
66	-	HIP 86219	Inside the hull	5.869
67	-	HIP 97122	Inside the hull	5.899
68	-	HIP 75696	Inside the hull	5.9
69	-	HIP 80991	Inside the hull	5.91
70	-	HIP 73507	Inside the hull	5.92
71	37 Dra	HIP 89448	Inside the hull	5.953
72	-	HIP 89047	Inside the hull	5.98
73	-	HIP 75256	Inside the hull	5.986
74	-	HR 6130	Inside the hull	6.04
75	-	HIP 80309	Inside the hull	6.04
76	-	HIP 83138	Inside the hull	6.041
77	-	HIP 91196	Inside the hull	6.06
78	-	HIP 95978	Inside the hull	6.062
79	-	HIP 70952	Inside the hull	6.08
80	-	HIP 87744	Inside the hull	6.081
81	-	HIP 91606	Inside the hull	6.091
82	-	HIP 83359	Inside the hull	6.094
83	-	HR 7075	Inside the hull	6.13
84	-	HIP 91915	Inside the hull	6.13
85	-	HIP 83289	Inside the hull	6.143
86	-	HIP 81358	Inside the hull	6.148
87	-	HIP 81840	Inside the hull	6.172
88	-	HIP 74272	Inside the hull	6.18
89	-	HIP 64774	Inside the hull	6.189
90	-	HIP 78632	Inside the hull	6.19
91	-	HIP 85692	Inside the hull	6.21
92	-	HIP 79414	Inside the hull	6.211
93	-	HIP 73706	Inside the hull	6.23
94	-	HIP 92731	Inside the hull	6.232
95	55 Dra	HIP 94140	Inside the hull	6.26
96	-	HIP 91811	Inside the hull	6.27
97	DL Dra	HIP 71876	Inside the hull	6.29
98	-	HIP 75822	Inside the hull	6.29
99	-	HIP 78017	Inside the hull	6.306
100	VW Dra	HIP 84496	Inside the hull	6.318
101	-	HIP 68537	Inside the hull	6.329
102	-	HIP 79125	Inside the hull	6.33
103	-	HIP 86184	Inside the hull	6.33
104	CN Dra	HIP 97326	Inside the hull	6.331
105	-	HIP 63152	Inside the hull	6.34
106	-	HIP 79867	Inside the hull	6.36
107	-	HIP 95576	Inside the hull	6.38
108	20 Dra	HIP 82898	Inside the hull	6.4
109	-	HIP 67589	Inside the hull	6.4
110	-	HIP 83114	Inside the hull	6.41
111	-	HIP 90476	Inside the hull	6.42
112	-	HIP 85235	Inside the hull	6.42
113	-	HIP 76651	Inside the hull	6.44
114	-	HIP 93068	Inside the hull	6.45
115	-	HIP 85268	Inside the hull	6.47
116	-	HIP 93053	Inside the hull	6.49
117	-	HIP 85317	Inside the hull	6.494
118	-	HIP 89104	Inside the hull	6.5
119	-	HIP 64522	Inside the hull	6.53

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Eltanin	HIP 87833	Constellation lines (Vertex)	2.23
2	Athebyne	HIP 80331	Constellation lines	2.74
3	Rastaban	HIP 85670	Constellation lines (Vertex)	2.81
4	Altais	HIP 94376	Constellation lines	3.07
5	Aldhibah	HIP 83895	Constellation lines	3.17
6	Edasich	HIP 75458	Constellation lines	3.29
7	χ Draconis	HIP 89937	Constellation lines	3.58
8	Thuban	HIP 68756	Constellation lines	3.68
9	Grumium	HIP 87585	Constellation lines	3.75
10	Giausar	HIP 56211	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.85
11	κ Draconis	HIP 61281	Constellation lines	3.89
12	ϵ Draconis	HIP 97433	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.91
13	θ Draconis	HIP 78527	Constellation lines	4
14	ϕ Draconis	HIP 89908	Constellation lines	4.22
15	τ Draconis	HIP 94648	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.45
16	ρ Draconis	HIP 98702	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.5
17	RR UMi	HIP 73199	Inside the hull	4.54
18	Dziban	HIP 86614	Constellation lines	4.55
19	π Draconis	HIP 95081	Constellation lines	4.59
20	ο Draconis	HIP 92512	Constellation lines	4.636
21	CU Dra	HIP 67627	Inside the hull	4.66
22	Alsafi	HIP 96100	Constellation lines	4.68
23	45 Dra	HIP 90905	Constellation lines	4.761
24	ω Draconis	HIP 86201	Inside the hull	4.77
25	υ Draconis	HIP 92782	Constellation lines	4.814
26	Fafnir	HIP 90344	Inside the hull	4.823
27	-	HIP 82020	Inside the hull	4.837
28	18 Dra	HIP 81660	Inside the hull	4.842
29	ν 2 Draconis	HIP 85829	Inside the hull	4.85
30	19 Dra	HIP 82860	Inside the hull	4.88
31	ν 1 Draconis	HIP 85819	Constellation lines	4.89
32	RX J1724.2+6957	RX J1724.2+6957	Inside the hull	4.89
33	Alrakis	HIP 83608	Constellation lines	4.91
34	15 Dra	HIP 80650	Inside the hull	4.949
35	CQ Dra	HIP 60998	Inside the hull	4.95
36	36 Dra	HIP 89348	Inside the hull	4.987
37	46 Dra	HIP 91755	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.02
38	* b Dra A	HIP 90156	Constellation lines	5.05
39	27 Dra	HIP 85805	Inside the hull	5.074
40	-	HIP 56583	Inside the hull	5.19
41	-	HIP 77277	Inside the hull	5.194
42	26 Dra	HIP 86036	Inside the hull	5.21
43	Taiyi	HIP 63076	Inside the hull	5.225
44	-	HIP 69373	Inside the hull	5.24
45	-	HIP 80161	Inside the hull	5.264
46	-	HIP 81437	Inside the hull	5.28
47	9 Dra	HIP 63432	Inside the hull	5.368
48	-	HIP 79804	Inside the hull	5.4
49	Tianyi	HIP 62423	Inside the hull	5.423
50	ψ 2 Draconis	HIP 87728	Inside the hull	5.43
51	-	HIP 78893	Inside the hull	5.441
52	ψ 1 Draconis B	HIP 86620	Inside the hull	5.53
53	-	HIP 84183	Inside the hull	5.54
54	-	HIP 92969	Inside the hull	5.621
55	-	HIP 76519	Inside the hull	5.627
56	-	HIP 85290	Inside the hull	5.645
57	-	HIP 83608A	Inside the hull	5.66
58	48 Dra	HIP 92997	Inside the hull	5.663
59	-	HIP 84950	Inside the hull	5.677
60	-	HIP 83608B	Inside the hull	5.69
61	-	HIP 75260	Inside the hull	5.712
62	-	HIP 75974	Inside the hull	5.738
63	-	HIP 91315	Inside the hull	5.74
64	Alruba	HIP 86782	Inside the hull	5.76
65	-	HIP 66798	Inside the hull	5.85
66	-	HIP 86219	Inside the hull	5.869
67	-	HIP 97122	Inside the hull	5.899
68	-	HIP 75696	Inside the hull	5.9
69	-	HIP 80991	Inside the hull	5.91
70	-	HIP 73507	Inside the hull	5.92
71	37 Dra	HIP 89448	Inside the hull	5.953
72	-	HIP 89047	Inside the hull	5.98
73	-	HIP 75256	Inside the hull	5.986
74	-	HR 6130	Inside the hull	6.04
75	-	HIP 80309	Inside the hull	6.04
76	-	HIP 83138	Inside the hull	6.041
77	-	HIP 91196	Inside the hull	6.06
78	-	HIP 95978	Inside the hull	6.062
79	-	HIP 70952	Inside the hull	6.08
80	-	HIP 87744	Inside the hull	6.081
81	-	HIP 91606	Inside the hull	6.091
82	-	HIP 83359	Inside the hull	6.094
83	-	HR 7075	Inside the hull	6.13
84	-	HIP 91915	Inside the hull	6.13
85	-	HIP 83289	Inside the hull	6.143
86	-	HIP 81358	Inside the hull	6.148
87	-	HIP 81840	Inside the hull	6.172
88	-	HIP 74272	Inside the hull	6.18
89	-	HIP 64774	Inside the hull	6.189
90	-	HIP 78632	Inside the hull	6.19
91	-	HIP 85692	Inside the hull	6.21
92	-	HIP 79414	Inside the hull	6.211
93	-	HIP 73706	Inside the hull	6.23
94	-	HIP 92731	Inside the hull	6.232
95	55 Dra	HIP 94140	Inside the hull	6.26
96	-	HIP 91811	Inside the hull	6.27
97	DL Dra	HIP 71876	Inside the hull	6.29
98	-	HIP 75822	Inside the hull	6.29
99	-	HIP 78017	Inside the hull	6.306
100	VW Dra	HIP 84496	Inside the hull	6.318
101	-	HIP 68537	Inside the hull	6.329
102	-	HIP 79125	Inside the hull	6.33
103	-	HIP 86184	Inside the hull	6.33
104	CN Dra	HIP 97326	Inside the hull	6.331
105	-	HIP 63152	Inside the hull	6.34
106	-	HIP 79867	Inside the hull	6.36
107	-	HIP 95576	Inside the hull	6.38
108	20 Dra	HIP 82898	Inside the hull	6.4
109	-	HIP 67589	Inside the hull	6.4
110	-	HIP 83114	Inside the hull	6.41
111	-	HIP 90476	Inside the hull	6.42
112	-	HIP 85235	Inside the hull	6.42
113	-	HIP 76651	Inside the hull	6.44
114	-	HIP 93068	Inside the hull	6.45
115	-	HIP 85268	Inside the hull	6.47
116	-	HIP 93053	Inside the hull	6.49
117	-	HIP 85317	Inside the hull	6.494
118	-	HIP 89104	Inside the hull	6.5
119	-	HIP 64522	Inside the hull	6.53

Mythology

Greek

The earth goddess Gaia's wedding gift to Hera and Zeus was golden apples. Hera was so amazed by this “miracle of nature” that she wanted to have these fruits planted in the garden of the gods. This garden was located near Atlas, whose daughters, the Hesperides, repeatedly stole some of the apples.

Hera therefore set a giant snake to guard the apples. One of Heracles' heroic deeds was to kill this giant snake. Eratosthenes writes that Heracles' battle with the snake was ordered by Zeus.

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)