Capricornus

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula, Doris Vickers

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

Capricornus, The Goat-Horned, is one of the 88 IAU constellations. This hybrid creature, half fish, half goat, is a faithful companion of Ea, the Babylonian god of wisdom. It is certain that this constellation came from Babylon with the zodiac. There it was called the goat-fish and was a benign demon used in numerous cults, e.g. in the cult of medicine. It was therefore often depicted in images – not necessarily the constellation itself, but illustrations of the demon have been preserved in reliefs and sculptures.

Etymology and History

Origin of Constellation

The origin is Mesopotamian.

The figure of the goatfish also reappears in art during the Roman period: a goatfish is depicted on the zodiac of Dendera in Egypt, which dates from the 1st century BC, and in Ptolemy's star catalogue, the names of the stars suggest that he thought the same. Both sources date from the Greco-Roman period, which means that even the depiction in Dendera is no longer truly Egyptian, but rather an Egyptianisation of foreign – i.e. Greek and Babylonian – constellations. The figures depicted here in Egyptian style are a cultural mixture, although it is unclear whether the Babylonian influences came to Egypt directly from Babylon or via the Greek conquerors.

The figure of the goat fish has been used equally in Arabic and Latin medieval times since at least late antiquity, thus extending from Ptolemy to the last pictorial star charts in the 18th/19th century. In English, this figure is usually called ‘Capricorn’, although in Greek it actually means ‘the goat-horned’. The official name of the constellation in the IAU is also ‘Sea-Goat’, so the German form ‘Steinbock’ is simply a misnomer.

According to Eratosthenes, this refers to a deity that resembles Aigipan in appearance, because the depiction is inspired by him. Eratosthenes describes him as a figure with the lower body of an animal and horns on his head. However, the upper body is that of a man. On the Farnese Globe, whose model dates back to Hellenistic times, only the goat's head is depicted. The rest of the figure is missing due to architectural features that obscure the globe in this southernmost region of the sky. Since it is a goat's head and chest and not a human head with horns, the depiction here is probably also intended to be a goatfish and not an Aigipan.

Greco-Roman

Aratus

Capricorn lies ahead and lower down, where the powerful sun turns back. [287] In that month I hope you will not be surged about by the sea through taking to open waters. Neither by day can you make much headway, for the days pass most swiftly then, [290] nor in your terror by night will the dawn come soon, however much you cry out. It is then that the dread southerlies strike, when the sun meets up with Capricorn; then the icy cold from Zeus is more cruel to the freezing sailor. But for that matter [295] the sea surges under the stem all the year long; and we, like diving shearwaters, often sit gazing round the ocean from our ships, turning our eyes towards the beaches; but the surf there is still far off, and only a little timber keeps death away. (Kidd 1997)

Ovid, Fasti 1

[651] When that is over, thou wilt quit Capricorn, O Phoebus, and wilt take thy course through the sign of the youth who carries water (Aquarius). (James George Frazer 1931)

Hipparchus

Rising (Lib II Cap V §10)

The Rising of ...

	east		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
star
duration	2 1/8 hours = 127.5 min = 31 7/8 degree

Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10)

	west		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
star
duration	2 2/3 hours = 160 min = 40°

Stars Mentioned

	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

This sign resembles Aegipan, whom Jupiter wished to be put among the constellations because he was nourished with him, just as he put the goat nurse we have mentioned before. He, first, as Eratosthenes says, when Jupiter attacked the Titans, is said to have cast into the enemy the fear that is called panikos. The lower part of his body has fish formation, because he hurled shellfish against the enemy, too, instead of stones. Egyptian priests and some poets say that once when many gods had assembled in Egypt, suddenly Typhon, an exceedingly fierce monster and deadly enemy of the gods, came to that place. Terrified by him, they changed their shapes into other forms: Mercury became an ibis, Apollo, the bird that is called Thracian, Diana, a cat. For this reason they say the Egyptians do not permit these creatures to be injured, because they are called representations of gods. At this same time, they say, Pan cast himself into the river, making the lower part of his body a fish, and the rest a goat, and thus escaped from Typhon. Jove, admiring his shrewdness, put his likeness among the constellations. (Mary Ward 1960)

Almagest Αἰγόκερως.

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Αἰγόκερω ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Capricornus
1	ὁ τῶν ἐν τῷ ἐπομένῳ κέρατι γ’ ὁ βόρειος.	The northernmost of' the 3 stars in the rear horn	alf1 + alf2 Cap
2	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one of these	nu Cap
3	ὁ νότιος τῶν τριῶη.	The southernmost of the three	bet Cap
4	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ἠγουμένου κέρατος	The star on the tip of the advance horn	xi1 + xi2 Cap
5	τῶν ἐν τῷ ῥόγχει γ' ὁ φότιος.	The star on the tip of the advance horn	omi Cap
6	τῶν λοιπῶν β’ ὁ ἠχούμενος.	The more advanced of the other two	pi Cap
	ὁ ἑπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The rearmost of these	rho Cap
	ὁ τῶν ἡ προηγούμενος ὑπὸ τὸν δεξιὸυ ὀφθαλμόν.	The star in advance of the [above] 3, under the right eye	sig Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῷ τραχήλῳ β ὁ βορειότερος	The northernmost of the 2 stars in the neck	tau Cap
	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of them	ups Cap
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ κεκαμμένον γόνατος.	The star on the left, doubled-up knee	ome Cap
	ὁ ὑπὸ τὸ δεξιὸν γονάτιοη.	The star under the right knee	psi Cap
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ὅμου.	The star on the left shoulder	24 Cap
	τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν κοιλίαυ συνεχῶν β’ ὁ ἠγούμενος	The more advanced of the 2 stars close tagether under the belly	zet Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The rcarmost of these	36 Cap
	τῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῷ σώματι γ’ ὁ ἐπόμενος	Thc rearmost of the 3 stars in the middle of the body	phi Cap
	τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ ἠγουμένωυ β ὁ νοτιώτερος.	The southernmost of the other, advance 2	chi Cap
	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν.	The northernmost of them	eta Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῷ νώτῳ β’ ὁ προηγούμευος.	The more advanced of the 2 stars in thc back	tet Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	iot Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῇ νοτίῳ ἀκάνθη β ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced of the 2 stars in thc southern spine	eps Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rcannost of them	kap Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῷ παρούρῳ ῇ ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced ofthe 2 stars in the section [ofthe body] next to the tail	gam Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	Thc rearmost of them	del Cap
	τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ βορείου μέρους τῆς οὐρᾶς δ ὁ προηγούμενος.	Tbc most advanccd of the 4 stars on thc northern portion of the tail	42 Cap
	τῶν λοιπῶν γ’ ὁ τότιος	The southernmost of the other 3	mu Cap
	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	Thc midd!e one of thcsc	lam Cap
	ὁ βόρειος αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ οὐραίου,	The northernmost of them, on the end of the tail-lin	46 Cap
	ἀστέρες κη, ὥν γ’ μεγέθους ὅ, δ’ ὅ, ε θ,ς ς.	28 stars, 4 of the third rnagnitude, 9 of the fourth, 9 of the fifth, 6 of the sixth

Convex Hull for the stars inside Aigokeros (CC BY Youla Azkarrula).

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Deneb Algedi	HIP 107556	Constellation lines (Vertex)	2.83
2	Dabih	HIP 100345	Constellation lines	3.08
3	Algedi	HIP 100064	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.58
4	Nashira	HIP 106985	Constellation lines	3.67
5	ζ Capricorni	HIP 105881	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.74
6	θ Capricorni	HIP 104139	Constellation lines	4.07
7	ω Capricorni	HIP 102978	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.12
8	ψ Capricorni	HIP 102485	Constellation lines	4.122
9	ι Capricorni	HIP 105515	Constellation lines	4.27
10	24 Cap	HIP 104234	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.5
11	36 Cap	HIP 106039	Inside the hull	4.5
12	ϵ Capricorni	HIP 106723	Constellation lines	4.55
13	κ Capricorni	HIP 107188	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.726
14	Alshat	HIP 100310	Constellation lines	4.76
15	η Capricorni	HIP 104019	Inside the hull	4.84
16	* rho Cap A	HD 194943A	Inside the hull	4.93
17	υ Capricorni	HIP 101984	Inside the hull	5.1
18	π Capricorni	HIP 100881	Inside the hull	5.14
19	ϕ Capricorni	HIP 104963	Inside the hull	5.152
20	σ Capricorni	HIP 100195	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.265
21	χ Capricorni	HIP 104365	Inside the hull	5.316
22	29 Cap	HIP 104974	Inside the hull	5.317
23	33 Cap	HIP 105665	Inside the hull	5.366
24	* 14 Cap A	HIP 101923	Inside the hull	5.38
25	30 Cap	HIP 105143	Inside the hull	5.383
26	-	HIP 105576	Inside the hull	5.6
27	37 Cap	HIP 106559	Inside the hull	5.696
28	-	HIP 103389	Inside the hull	5.7
29	35 Cap	HIP 105928	Inside the hull	5.76
30	19 Cap	HIP 103226	Inside the hull	5.782
31	-	HIP 102026	Inside the hull	5.799
32	-	HIP 102772	Inside the hull	5.849
33	ξ 2 Capricorni	HIP 99572	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.85
34	-	HIP 103460	Inside the hull	5.869
35	ο 1 Capricorni	HIP 101123	Constellation lines	5.897
36	17 Cap	HIP 102487	Inside the hull	5.902
37	DV Aqr	HIP 103545	Inside the hull	5.963
38	-	HIP 104914	Inside the hull	6.037
39	21 Cap	HIP 103703	Inside the hull	6.05
40	β2 Cap	HIP 100325	Inside the hull	6.1
41	-	HIP 101221	Inside the hull	6.11
42	-	HIP 101507	Inside the hull	6.116
43	-	HIP 104297	Inside the hull	6.17
44	-	HIP 101608	Inside the hull	6.177
45	-	HIP 102780	Inside the hull	6.193
46	27 Cap	HIP 104452	Inside the hull	6.242
47	20 Cap	HIP 103616	Inside the hull	6.25
48	-	HIP 101997	Inside the hull	6.37
49	-	HIP 105662	Inside the hull	6.373
50	-	HIP 101011	Inside the hull	6.41
51	-	HR 7989	Inside the hull	6.47
52	* rho Cap B	HD 194943B	Inside the hull	6.88

Mythology

Babylonian

In Mesopotamian religion, the goatfish was an attribute or representation of the god Ea. Already in Sumerian times, Ea was considered one of the highest gods and, in the Babylonian pantheon, the one who always helped humans when other gods wanted to punish them. Illnesses were also interpreted as punishment from the gods, and the goatfish was the benign demon associated with Ea who helped people recover.

Greek

It is unclear whether Aigipan is always equivalent to Pan. In any case, this deity is probably a foster brother of Zeus. Aigipan therefore supported the Olympian gods in their battle against the Titans. He is said to have found a shell, which is called ‘pan’ because of the sound it makes. When the Titans heard this sound, they fled.

References

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