| Virgo | |
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Other Names |
Demeter, Iustitia, Astraea, Erigone, Persephone, Parthenos, Mary, Dike, Erigone |
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First Appearance |
Greek Myth |
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Created by |
Greek Myth |
Origin[]
Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for maiden, and its old astronomical symbol is . Between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second-largest constellation in the sky (after Hydra) and the largest constellation in the zodiac. The ecliptic intersects the celestial equator within this constellation and Pisces. Underlying these technical two definitions, the sun passes directly overhead of the equator, within this constellation, at the September equinox. Virgo can be easily found through its brightest star, Spica.
Virgo (♍︎) is the sixth astrological sign in the zodiac. It spans the 150–180th degree of the zodiac. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area between August 23 and September 22 on average. Depending on the system of astrology, individuals born during these dates may be called Virgos or Virgoans.
In the Babylonian, part of this constellation was known as "The Furrow", representing the goddess Shala and her ear of grain. One star in this constellation, Spica, retains this tradition as it is Latin for "ear of grain", one of the major products of the Mesopotamian furrow. For this reason the constellation became associated with fertility. The constellation of Virgo in Hipparchus corresponds to two Babylonian constellations: the "Furrow" in the eastern sector of Virgo and the "Frond of Erua" in the western sector. The Frond of Erua was depicted as a goddess holding a palm-frond – a motif that still occasionally appears in much later depictions of Virgo.
The sign is associated with Astraea, a figure from Greek mythology. Astraea was the last immortal to abandon Earth at the end of the Silver Age when the gods fled to Olympus, which is why Virgo is associated with Earth. Astraea later became the constellation of Virgo. Virgo is one of the three Earth signs, alongside Capricorn and Taurus.
Early Greek astronomy associated the Babylonian constellation with their goddess of wheat, agriculture and autumn, Demeter. The Romans associated it with their goddess Ceres. Alternatively, the constellation was sometimes identified as the virgin goddess Iustitia or Astraea, holding the scales of justice in her hand (that now are separated as the constellation Libra). Another Greek myth from later, Classical times, identifies Virgo as Erigone, the daughter of Icarius of Athens. Icarius, who had been favored by Dionysus and was killed by his shepherds while they were intoxicated after which Erigone hanged herself in grief; in versions of this myth, Dionysus is said to have placed the father and daughter in the stars as Boötes and Virgo respectively. Another figure who is associated with the constellation Virgo was the spring goddess Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter who had married Hades and resided in the Underworld.
In the Poeticon Astronomicon by Hyginus (1st century BC), Parthenos is the daughter of Apollo and Chrysothemis, who died a maiden and was placed among the stars as the constellation. Diodorus Siculus has an alternative account, according to which Parthenos was the daughter of Staphylus and Chrysothemis, sister of Rhoeo and Molpadia (Hemithea). After a suicide attempt she and Hemithea were carried by Apollo to Chersonesus, where she became a local goddess. Strabo also mentions a goddess named Parthenos worshipped throughout Chersonesus.
During the Middle Ages, Virgo sometimes was associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In Greek mythology, the constellation is also associated with the daughter of Zeus, Dike the goddess of justice, who is represented holding the scales of justice.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All published appearances of Virgo before January 1, 1930 are in the public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Works and Days
- Phaenomena
- Dionysiaca
- Astronomica
- Metamorphoses
- The Argonautica