CYGNUS

Latin : Cygnus (the Swan)
Greek : Ornis (the Bird) or Kygnos (the Swan)

SWAN ZEUS When Zeus wanted to seduce the goddess Nemesis he transformed himself into a swan, and bade Aphrodite in the guise of an eagle pursue him into her lap. As a memorial of this successful ruse he placed an eagle and swan in the sky as the constellations Cygnus and Aquila.

CRATER

Latin : Crater (the Drinking Cup)
Greek : Krêtêr (the Drinking Cup)

CUP OF APOLLO A cup placed amongst the stars by Apollo in form of the constellation Crater, next to Corvus the crow and Hydra the serpent. The serpent was set to guard the bowl, preventing the crow from drinking.

CORVUS

Latin : Corvus (the Crow)
Greek : Koronis (the Crow) or Korakos (the Raven)

CORONIS A Thessalian girl loved by the god Apollo. But she proved unfaithful and Artemis slew her with her arrows. The god then placed Coronis (literally, "the Crow") amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus. Her son by Apollo was Asclepius, the constellation Ophiochus.

CORONA

Latin : Corona (the Crown)
Greek : Stephanos (the Crown)
CROWN OF THESEUS The crown of the Athenian hero Theseus which he received from the goddess Amphitrite as a mark of his divine paternity. He in turn gave it to Ariadne as reward for the assistance she provided him in navigating the passages of the Labyrinth. At her death it was placed amongst the stars.

CETUS

Latin : Cetus (the Sea Monster or Whale)
Greek : Kêtos (the Sea Monster or Whale)

A sea monster which was sent by Poseidon to ravage the land of Ethiopia to punish Queen Cassiopea for her prideful boasts comparing her daughter Andromeda to the Nereids. The girl was offered up as sacrifice to the monster, but was rescued by the hero Perseus. To commemorate the event, the monster was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Cetus, along with Perseus and Andromeda.

CEPHEUS

Latin : Cepheus
Greek : Kêpheus

A King of Aethiopia and father of the lovely Andromeda. He was forced to sacrifice his daughter to a sea monster because the boasts of his wife Cassiopea offended the gods. But the hero Perseus slew the beast and rescued her. As a memorial the whole family - Cepheus, Cassiopea, Andromeda and Perseus - were placed amongst the stars.

CENTAURUS

Latin : Centaurus (the Centaur)
Greek : Kentauros (the Centaur)

CHIRON The wisest of the Centaurs, a son of the Titan Cronus. He once entertained Heracles, but when examining his poisonous arrows dropped one on his foot. Because of the unbearable pain of the wound, he surrendered his immortality and was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Centaurus. Others say he became Saggitarius.

CASSIOPEA

Latin : Cassiopea
Greek : Kassiepeia

A Queen of Ethiopia, mother of the lovely Andromeda. When she boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids, Poseidon sent a sea monster to devour the girl. She was rescued by Perseus, who slew the beast. As a memorial the whole family were placed amongst the stars, but Cassiopea because of her pride, was set to hang eternally upside down on her throne.

CAPRICORN

Latin : Capricorn (the Goat Horn)
Greek : Aigokerôs (the Goat Horn)

Eratosthenes 2.28)

AEGIPAN When the monster Typhon attacked Olympus, the gods fled in a body to Egypt and hid themselves away in the form of animals. The god Pan transformed himself into a goat-fish and hid dived into a river. Later after Zeus had been disabled by the giant, Aegipan recovered his stolen sinews and so restored him. For this service he was awarded with a place amongst the stars as the constellation Capricorn.

CANCER

Latin : Cancer (the Crab)
Greek : Karkinos (the Crab)

CARCINUS A crab of the Lernaean swamp which assisted the Hydra in her battle with Heracles. The hero crushed it beneath his heel, and also despatched the serpent, but as a reward for their service Hera placed the pair amongst the stars in the form of the constellations Cancer and Hydra.

BOOTES

Latin : Bootes
Greek : Boôtes (the Wagon-Driver) or Arktophylax (the Bear-Watcher)

ARCAS An early king of Arkadia. When he was about to kill his mother Callisto who had been transformed into a bear, Zeus raised the pair to heavens as the constellations Arctophylax (the Bear-Watcher) andUrsa (the Bear).

AURIGA

Latin : Auriga (the Charioteer)
Greek : Hêniokhos (the Charioteer)

MYRTILUS The charioteer of King Oinomaos of Pisa, and a son of the god Hermes. When he was murdered by Pelops, his father set him in the heavens as the constellation Auriga.

ARGO

Latin : Argo
Greek : Argô (the Silver (Ship)

ARGO The ship of the hero Argonauts which was constructed by Argus and Athena, with a talking beam placed on its prow. After their voyage in search of the Golden Fleece, the ship was placed amongst the stars in memorial as the constellation Argo. Only half of the ship can be seen in the stars, the forepart from stern to mast.

AQUILA

Latin : Aquila (the Eagle)
Greek : Aiêtos (the Eagle)

EAGLE OF ZEUS  An eagle which appeared to Zeus as a sign of good omen when he was sacrificing on an altar prior to the commencement of his war against the Titans. To commemorate the event he placed the eagle and altar amongst the stars as the constellations Aquila and Ara.

ANDROMEDA

Latin : Andromeda
Greek : Andromedê

A Princess of Ethiopia, daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopea. Her mother offended the gods by boasting that the girl was more beautiful than the Nereids. Poseidon in wrath sent a sea-monster to devour the girl. When she was chained to the rocks, the hero Perseus spied her, slew the beast, and carried her off as his wife. The gods as a memorial, set the whole family amongst the stars as constellations.

PERSEUS

Greek : Perseus (the Destroyer)

An Argive hero, the son of Zeus and Danae. When he was returning on his quest for the Gorgon's head, he spied the Ethiopian princess Andromeda chained to the rocks as sacrifice to a sea-monster. Perseus slew the beast and saved the girl. In memorial of the event Athena placed Perseus, Andromeda, Cepheus and Cassiopea (the girl's parents) and Cetus (the Sea Monster) amongst the stars

TRIANGULUM

Latin : Triangulum (the Triangle)
Greek : Deltôton (the Triangle or letter D)

DIVISION OF THE COSMOS A triangle was placed amongst the stars to commemorate the division of the universe amongst the three sons of Cronus : Zeus received the heavens, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld.