The Constellation
Leo |
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Mythology and History |
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The Lion. |
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Around 240 B.C., Leo was robbed of his splendid tail.
The astronomer-priest under Ptolemy III chopped of the tail of Leo when
they invented the new constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair). |
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The Egyptians worshipped lion-gods which is evidence of the
importance this beast held in Egyptian life. The Egyptians believed
that the world was created at a time when the Sun rose in Leo near the
star Denebola. |
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The Sumerians also saw this group of stars as a lion.
The form of the Lion was probably passed along to the Babylonians, Greeks,
Roman and others. |
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Hercules' first labor was to kill the Nemean lion, a fierce
beast who descended to Earth from the Moon in the form of a meteor and
ravaged the countryside of Corinth. The lion had hide so tough that
neither spear nor arrow nor any other weapon could pierce it. So
well known was the beast that Hercules had no trouble finding its lair,
a cave with two entrances. As Hercules approached, the lion showed
itself and Hercules sped an arrow toward its heart. The arrow merely
bounced off and fell to the ground. Hercules now knew that arrows
or spears were useless against the beast. He then sealed off one
of the entrances to the cave and pursued the lion inside through the other
entrance. So great was his strength that Hercules seized the lion
and strangled it to death by ramming his fist down its throat. He
then flung it over his shoulder and returned to show King Eurystheus that
he had fulfilled his first labor. The cowardly king was terrified
at the sight of the beast and fled. Hercules then skinned the lion
and used its tough hide as a protective shield. |
So angry was Hera at Hercules' success
that she raised the soul of the lion high into the sky, where today he
can be seen as the constellation Leo, the Lion.
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The Persians knew Leo as Ser, to the Turk, Artan,
to the Syrians, Aryo, to the Jews, Arye, and to the Babylonians,
Aru, all meaning "Lion." |
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