Massimo Dionisi - Astronomia

Massimo Dionisi - Astronomy




THE HEAVENS: MYTH AND LEGENDS




Orpheus and Eurydice





Orpheus was the greatest musician of his time, able to enchant stones and streams with the magic that emanated from his songs. It is even said that with the harmonious sound of his lyre he attracted rows of oaks down from the mountains to the coast of Thrace. Orpheus joined the expedition of Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. When the Argonauts heard the tempting song of the sirens, nymphs marine that had lured and eliminated generations of sailors, Orpheus intoned a countermelody that covered their voices.
The Lyre was the instrument of the great musician Orpheus and was the first to be built. Invented by Hermes (Mercury) son of Zeus and Maia (one of the Pleiades). Hermes made the lyre from the shell of a tortoise which he had found to graze outside his cave on Mount Cillene in Arcadia. He cleaned the shell, he did holes along the edge and diagonally tied seven ropes made of cow gut, as many as the number of Pleiades. He also invented the pick to play the instrument with.
Thanks to that lira, Hermes got out of trouble in which he had hunted for a youthful venture, which had led him to steal Apollo's cattle. Enraged Apollo showed up to claim the his return, but when he heard the beautiful music that came from the lira, let Hermes keep it the beasts and in return he took the lira. Eratosthenes reports that later Apollo gave Orfeo the lira for accompany her songs with it.

Orpheus and Eurydice by Peter Paul Rubens (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) - Prado Museum, Madrid

Orpheus married the nymph Eurydice but Aristeo, one of the numerous sons of Apollo, have also fallen in love for her. One day Aristeo, overwhelmed by passion, attacked Eurydice and while this attempted to escape, she tripped over a snake and was mortally bitten. A heart broke in Orpheus; unable to live without the his young bride, decided to descend into the underworld to ask that she be returned.
Found in Cuma the gate of the underworld ventured armed only with its lyre. When arrived there enchantment Charon, Cerberus and Persephone. Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, agreed to return Eurydice to life, provided that Orpheus did not turn to look at her until both had left the realm of the dead. Together with Hermes, (who checked that Orpheus did not turn around), walked on the way back to the world of alive. Eurydice, not knowing of the covenant, continued to melancholy call Orpheus, thinking that he did not he looked at her because she was ugly, but he, with great pain, had to continue undaunted without turning around.


As soon as he saw some light Orpheus realized he had come out of the Underworld and turned. Unfortunately Eurydice accused a pain in the ankle bitten by the snake and, therefore, delayed. So Orpheus transgressed the condition placed by Hades. Only then did Eurydice understand and, to his beloved, whisper dramatic words and poignant: "Thanks, my love, you have done all you can to save me".
They then took each other by the hand, aware that this was the last time. Hermes, with sad face and compassionate expression, he held Eurydice by the hand, because that was what he had promised to Hades. Orpheus saw Eurydice disappear and despaired, because he knew he would never see her again. He decided then not to desire any other woman.


Long afterwards a group of drunken Bacchantes invited Orpheus to participate in a Dionysian orgy. For live up to his promise, he renounced, and this is exactly what led him to death: the Bacchantes, enraged, they tore him to pieces and threw his head into the river Evros, along with his lyre. The head fell right on the lyre and floating, he continued to sing sweetly. Zeus, touched by this event moving, took the lyre and placed it in the sky forming a constellation.


Andromeda and Perseus


Andromeda in chains threatened by Cetus, work of the artist Boris Vallejo



The beautiful princess Andromeda, daughter of the King of Ethiopia Cepheus and Cassiopeia, had been offered in sacrifice to Poseidon, the God of the Sea, to wash away the shame of the insult that the Queen had addressed to the Nymphs of the sea. The princess was chained to the cliff and was about to be devoured by the horrible marine monster (Cetus) sent by Poseidon.
Suddenly Perseus appeared in the sky, riding the winged horse Pegasus, returning from the victory with the Medusa, whose gaze petrified every living being; he engaged in an epic fight with Cetus in defense by Andromeda. Perseus had kept in a sack the severed head of the Medusa and showed it to Cetus, forever petrifying the sea monster.
He then freed Andromeda who fell head over heels in love with his savior and the two married soon after the right wedding.

Andromeda and Perseus constellation drawing by Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687)

Cepheus and Cassiopeia constellation drawing by Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687)

Pegasus and Cetus constellation drawing by Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687)

All the characters of this adventure were then turned into constellations by the gods, thus giving them immortality. Andromeda and Perseus, Cassiopeia and Cepheus, the winged horse Pegasus and the monster Cetus.

On the left Perseus and Andromeda, wall painting from Pompeii, 1st century. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli; on the right Perseus save Andromeda, Giorgio Vasari (oil on wood 117x100 cm, Florence, Palazzo Vecchio, Studiolo di Francesco I)

The legend of Andromeda and Perseus is one of the most famous handed down from ancient times; over many centuries artists have narrated and illustrated it in different ways. In the images two illustrious examples but the works are very many.


Callisto

Artemis (Diana) discovers Callisto's pregnancy, Tiziano, The National Gallery, London and The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh Edinburgh

Callisto was a nymph of extraordinary beauty who always accompanied Artemis (Diana for the Latins), the Goddess of the Hunt. Zeus fell in love with her and, disguised as Artemis, managed to surround the young nymph. From the union a son was born, Arcade. Artemis chased Callisto and Hera (Juno), Zeus' wife, took revenge by turning Callisto into a bear.
When Arcade, as an adult, was about to unknowingly kill his mother, Zeus intervened to save them both from the wrath of Hera transformed them into constellations, such as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor; the two constellations are also known by the names of Big Dipper and Little Dipper, from the typical shape given by the arrangement of the main stars.

Ursa Major and Ursa Minor constellation drawing by Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687)


Many other artists have depicted this legend, such as Cesar van Everdingen in Jupiter and Callisto of 1655 (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm)


Ofiuco


Asclepius (Aesculapius for the Latins) was the son of Apollo and Coronis. Legend has it that Coronis betrayed Apollo with a mortal, Ischys, while she was pregnant with Asclepius. A crow, a bird that until then was been candid, brought the bad news to the god but instead of the reward he expected he was cursed by Apollo who made him black.
In a fit of jealousy, Apollo struck Coronis with an arrow. But then he repented of his gesture and rather than seeing her baby die with her, the god tore the fetus from her mother's womb before the flames of the funeral pyre enveloped her; he entrusted the newborn to Chiron, the wise centaur (represented in the sky by the constellation of the Centaur).
Chiron raised Asclepius like a son and taught him the arts of healing and hunting. Asclepius became so skilled in medicine that he not only managed to save lives, but also resurrected from dead.
In Crete he brought Glaucus back to life, the young son of King Minos: Asclepius was examining the body of Glaucus was killed after a serious accident when a snake approached. He promptly killed him with his stick; then another snake came forward with a grass in its mouth which it placed on the body of the dead one who magically returned to life. Asclepius took the same herb and placed it on Glaucus' body, and the magical effect was repeated; from that moment Asclepius began to use this herb and it quickly became the most famous of all doctors.


Hades, god of the underworld, soon realized that the flow of dead souls into his kingdom would have been drastically reduced if this technique had become common knowledge. Protested to Zeus, the god his brother, and that struck Asclepius with the thunderbolt. Apollo felt outraged by the severe treatment reserved for his son and he took his revenge by killing the three Cyclops who forged the thunderbolts of Zeus. To appease Apollo, Zeus made Asclepius immortal and placed him among the stars as a constellation of Ophiuchus.
In all the representations of the constellation, Ophiuchus holds in his hands a snake, which has become a symbol of medicine.


Ercole


Image on top: Hercules Farnese, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli



Europa


Kidnapping of Europa by Rembrandt, 1632. This painting is considered one of the greatest examples of Baroque painting.

Europe, was a young and beautiful princess, daughter of King Agenor and of Telefassa, who lived in Phenicia.
One day Zeus, from the heights of Heaven, met the beautiful princess together with her maids on the bank of the sea, where Europe loved to bathe and pick flowers. Zeus immediately fell in love with her and not to intimidate her maidens took the form of a white bull and grazed the grass of the meadow.
The girls, seeing him calm, began to caress him, even Europe climbed on his back. Then the bull jumped and began a long run: Europe was so scared that she no longer had a voice to shout and clung tight to the bull that after hours and hours of walking arrived on the island of Crete, where he finally turned into Zeus and declared his love for Europe.


Tiziano interpretation of the rat of Europe

Taurus by Johannes Hevelius

From the union of the father of the gods with the girl three children were born including Minos, the future king of the island of Crete. To remember this event, Taurus was placed in the sky as a constellation.


Leda e il Cigno


Image on top: Leda with the Cygnus, Galleria degli Uffizi, Firenze. Painting attributed to Francesco Melzi (1491-1568), pupil of Leonardo da Vinci.

Cygnus


Castore e Polluce


Image on the top: Castor and Pollux are the "Dioscuri", first century after Christ unknown author, Museo del Prado, Madrid


Kidnapping of Leucippo's daughters of Pieter Paul Rubens, painted around 1618.