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Constellation Myths: with Aratus's Phaenomena (Oxford World's Classics)
Eratosthenes
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Description for Constellation Myths: with Aratus's Phaenomena (Oxford World's Classics)
Paperback. This translation brings together ancient classical texts derived from Eratosthenes' handbook of astral mythology, Hyginus' guide to astronomy, and Aratus's astronomical poem Phaenomena to provide a complete collection of Greek astral myths. Translator(s): Hard, Robin. Series: Oxford World's Classics. Num Pages: 256 pages, 2 maps of the constellations, 1 diagram. BIC Classification: HRKP3; PGM. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 197 x 128 x 17. Weight in Grams: 192.
'Athena seized the writhing serpent and hurled it into the sky, and fixed it to the very pole of the heavens.' The constellations we recognize today were first mapped by the ancient Greeks, who arranged the stars into patterns for that purpose. In the third century BC Eratosthenes compiled a handbook of astral mythology in which the constellations were associated with figures from legend, and myths were provided to explain how each person, creature, or object came to be placed in the sky. Thus we can see Heracles killing the Dragon, and Perseus slaying the sea-monster to save Andromeda; Orion chases the seven maidens transformed by Zeus into the Pleiades, and Aries, the golden ram, is identified flying up to the heavens. This translation brings together the later summaries from Eratosthenes' lost handbook with a guide to astronomy compiled by Hyginus, librarian to Augustus. Together with Aratus's astronomical poem the Phaenomena, these texts provide a complete collection of Greek astral myths; imaginative and picturesque, they also offer an intriguing insight into ancient science and culture. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Product Details
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2015
Series
Oxford World's Classics
Condition
New
Number of Pages
256
Place of Publication
Oxford, United Kingdom
ISBN
9780198716983
SKU
V9780198716983
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 4 to 8 working days
Ref
99-12
About Eratosthenes
Robin Hard has translated Apollodorus' Library of Greek Mythology, Diogenes' Sayings and Anecdotes, Marcus Aurelius Meditations, and Epictetus Discourses, Fragments, Handbook for Oxford World's Classics. He is the author of the Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology (2004).
Reviews for Constellation Myths: with Aratus's Phaenomena (Oxford World's Classics)
Highly recommended.
Anna Maria Polidori, Al Femminile
A useful, inexpensive, and comprehensive vade-mecum of the mythology that surrounds the constellations
Colin Leach, Classics for All
Anna Maria Polidori, Al Femminile
A useful, inexpensive, and comprehensive vade-mecum of the mythology that surrounds the constellations
Colin Leach, Classics for All