About

Hercules is a constellation named after Hercules, the Roman mythology hero adapted from the Greek hero Heracles. Hercules was one of the 48 constellations listed by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. It is the fifth-largest of the modern constellations and is the largest of the 50 which have no stars brighter than apparent magnitude +2.5.

History and mythology

According to Gavin White, the Greek constellation of Hercules is a distorted version of the Babylonian constellation known as the "Standing Gods" (MUL.DINGIR.GUB.BA.MESH). White argues that this figure was, like the similarly named "Sitting Gods", depicted as a man with a serpent's body instead of legs (the serpent element now being represented on the Greek star map by the figure of Draco that Hercules crushes beneath his feet). He further argues that the original name of Hercules – the 'Kneeler' (see below) – is a conflation of the two Babylonian constellations of the Sitting and Standing Gods. The constellation is also sometimes associated with Gilgamesh, a Sumerian mythological hero. Phoenician tradition is said to have associated this constellation with their sun god, who slew a dragon (Draco). The earliest Greek references to the constellation do not refer to it as Hercules. Aratus describes it as follows: Right there in its [Draco's] orbit wheels a Phantom form, like to a man that strives at a task. That sign no man knows how to read clearly, nor what task he is bent, but men simply call him On His Knees. [Ἐγγόνασιν "the Kneeler"]. Now that Phantom, that toils on his knees, seems to sit on bended knee, and from both his shoulders his hands are upraised and stretch, one this way, one that, a fathom's length. Over the middle of the head of the crooked Dragon, he has the tip of his right foot. Here too that Crown [Corona], which glorious Dionysus set to be memorial of the dead Ariadne, wheels beneath the back of the toil-spent Phantom. To the Phantom's back the Crown is near, but by his head mark near at hand the head of Ophiuchus [...] Yonder, too, is the tiny Tortoise, which, while still beside his cradle, Hermes pierced for strings and bade it be called the Lyre [Lyra]: and he brought it into heaven and set it in front of the unknown Phantom. That Croucher on his Knees comes near the Lyre with his left knee, but the top of the Bird's head wheels on the other side, and between the Bird's head and the Phantom's knee is enstarred the Lyre. The constellation is connected with Hercules in De astronomia (probably 1st century BCE/CE, and attributed to Hyginus), which describes several different myths about the constellation: Eratosthenes (3rd century BCE) is said to have described it as Hercules, placed above Draco (representing the dragon of the Hesperides) and preparing to fight it, holding his lion's skin in his left hand, and a club in his right (this can be found in the Epitome Catasterismorum). Panyassis' Heracleia (5th century BCE) reportedly said Jupiter was impressed by this fight, and made it a constellation, with Hercules kneeling on his right knee, and trying to crush Draco's head with his left foot, while striking with his right hand and holding the lion skin in his left. Araethus (3rd/4th century BCE) is said to have described the constellation as depicting Ceteus son of Lycaon, imploring the gods to restore his daughter Megisto who had been transformed into a bear. Hegesianax (2nd/3rd century BCE), who it says describes it as Theseus lifting the stone at Troezen. Anacreon of Alexandria, who it claims also supports the idea that it depicts Theseus, saying that the constellation Lyra (said to be Theseus' lyre in other sources) is near Theseus. Thamyris blinded by the Muses, kneeling in supplication. Orpheus killed by the women of Thracia for seeing the sacred rituals of Liber (Dionysus). Aeschylus' lost play Prometheus Unbound (5th century BCE), which recounted that when Hercules drives the cattle of Geryon through Liguria (northern Italy), the Ligurians will join forces and attack him, attempting to steal the cattle. Hercules fights until his weapons break, before falling to his knees, wounded. Jupiter, taking pity on his son, provides many stones on the ground, which Hercules uses to fight off the Ligurians. In commemoration of this, Jupiter makes a constellation depicting Hercules in his fighting form. (A quote from this section of the play is preserved in Dionysius of Halicarnassus' Roman Antiquities: "And thou shalt come to Liguria's dauntless host, Where no fault shalt thou find, bold though thou art, With the fray: 'tis fated thy missiles all shall fail.") Ixion with his arms bound for trying to attack Juno. Prometheus bound on Mount Caucasus. The Scholia to Aratus mention three more mythical figures in connection with this constellation: Sisyphus or Tantalus, who suffered in Tartarus for having offended the gods, or Salmoneus, who was struck down by Zeus for his hubris. Another classical author associated the constellation with Atlas.