The Legend of Ophiuchus Ophiuchus and the Serpent: this constellation along the southern horizon shows a giant holding a poisonous serpent while standing on the back of the scorpion. The star group actually includes two constellations that intersect each other, Ophiuchus and Serpens. When attempting to locate the constellation, draw an imaginary line from Antares to Vega and another from Altair to Arcturus. The intersection of the lines incorporate two stars that represent the heads of Ophiuchus and Hercules.
Mesopotamia: at about 3500 BC, Ophiuchus was in opposition to the sun on the night of the spring equinox as visible from a position of 35° north latitude. This is the position of the Euphrates River. The giant would have been symbolically triumphant over the lords of darkness as represented by Scorpius at his foot and Serpens in his hands. In 2700 BC, the serpent within this constellation aligned with the position of the celestial equator, changing direction where it intersected the meridian. The head of the serpent was on the zenith on the night of the equinox. See the Mesopotamian legends of Draco and Hydra.
Greece: Apollo's wife Coronis was unfaithful to him while he was away at Delphi. She took as her lover Ischys. When he returned and learned of her infidelity from the crow Corvus, Apollo struck her dead and removed the child in her womb. The boy, Asclepius was given to the centaur Chiron to be raised and taught the mysteries of medicine. Asclepius became the greatest surgeon and healer of his time and learned to mix medicines from the poisons of snakes and plants. One of his mixtures caused the recently deceased to rise from the realm of Hades infuriating the god of the dead. Hades asked Zeus to stop Asclepius and he was struck down with a thunderbolt. In pity Zeus restored him to life making him an immortal. He was placed in the sky with a serpent as representative of his pharmaceutical talents. See the Greek legends of Centaurus, Corvus, Hydra and Sagitta.
Arabia: this constellation was combined with that of Hercules and called al-Raudah, the Pasture. This area of the sky represented a shepherd, his dog and flock of sheep.Back to the Constellations
