Orion

The Constellations 32

Hesiod says that Orion was the son of Euryale, the daughter of Minos, and of Poseidon and that to him was granted the ability to walk on the sea as he did on the land. Orion came to Chios and, while drunk, violated Merope, the daughter of Oenopion. Learning of the insult, Oenopion took it badly; he blinded Orion and banished him from the island. In his wanderings, Orion came to Lemnos and there met Hephaestus, who took pity on him and gave Orion his own servant, Cedalion, to guide him. Orion took Cedalion on his shoulders and, following Cedalion's directions, made his way to the East, where he met Helius, who cured his blindness. Orion then returned to inflict punishment on Oenopion, but Oenopion was hidden by the townspeople beneath the earth. Giving up the search, Orion went to Crete, where he hunted wild animals in the company of Artemis and Leto. He reportedly threatened to slay every beast that lived on the earth, whereupon Gaea [“Earth”] became angered and brought forth a scorpion of great size, by whose sting Orion perished. Zeus, at the request of Artemis and Leto, placed Orion among the stars to commemorate his bravery; he also set the scorpion among the stars as a reminder of the event. Others say that Orion became enamored of Artemis when he reached manhood, and that Artemis sent against him the scorpion by which he was stung and died, also that the gods took pity on Orion and changed both him and the scorpion into constellations to commemorate the event.

Orion has three faint stars on the head [λ, ? , ?]; one bright star on each shoulder [α, γ] ; one faint star on the right elbow [μ] ; one faint star at the edge of the hand [ξ]; three stars on the belt [δ, ε, ζ]; three bright stars on the sword [η, 42 , θ²]; one bright star on each knee [κ, ?]; also one bright star on each foot [β, 29]. The total is seventeen.

Poetic Astronomy 2.34

Hesiod says this is Neptune's son by Euryale, the daughter of Minos, and that to him was granted the ability to run on the water as he did on land, just as Iphicles reportedly had the power to run over growing grain without bruising it.

Aristomachus, however, says there was at Thebes a certain Hyrieus (Pindar says he lived on the island of Chios), who received Jupiter and Mercury as his guests, and sought from them the gift of becoming a father. Further, in order to obtain his request more easily, he sacrificed an ox and placed it before them at a banquet. When Hyrieus had done this, Jupiter and Mercury ordered that the hide of the ox be removed and that the oxhide, into which they urinated, should be buried. From the oxhide was later born a lad whom Hyrieus called Urion [“urine-born”], because of his origin, but long-standing custom calls him Orion. It is reported that Orion went from Thebes to Chios and there, his desire aroused through wine, raped Merope, the daughter of Oenopion. For this deed, he was blinded by Oenopion and driven from the island. He went to Vulcan on Lemnos and received from him a certain Cedalion as guide. Orion placed Cedalion on his shoulders, and, in this way, reportedly came to Sol [“Sun”], who restored his sight. Orion then returned to Chios to avenge himself, but Oenopion was hidden by his countrymen beneath the earth. Giving up hope of finding him, Orion came to the island of Crete, where he took up hunting with Diana and, boasting to her of what we mentioned earlier, thus came to be among the stars.

Some, however, say that Orion lived with Oenopion in excessive intimacy and, because he wished to prove his prowess in hunting, boasted to Diana of what we recounted earlier and was slain. Others, agreeing with Callimachus, say that when he tried to force himself on Diana, she shot him with her arrows, and that, on account of his hunting, he was depicted among the stars in the same pursuit. Istrus, however, says that Orion was loved by Diana and that she almost became his wife. Apollo became distressed, but his frequent scolding had no effect. On one occasion, when he observed the head of the swimming Orion from afar, he wagered with Diana that she could not hit the dark spot visible in the ocean with her arrow. She, desirous of being called the most skilled archer, shot her arrow and pierced the head of Orion. When the waves carried his body ashore, Diana grieved greatly that she had shot him and, lamenting his death with much weeping, reportedly placed him among the stars. What Diana did after his death we will relate in the stories about her.

3.33

Orion has three bright stars on his head; one star on each shoulder; one faint star on the right elbow; a like one on the hand; three on his belt; three faint stars where his sword is represented; one bright star on each knee; one on each foot. The total is seventeen.

Commentary

There are two traditions concerning Orion's parentage. According to one, he was of gigantic size and born of the Earth; according to the other, he was the son of Euryale and Poseidon. Hyginus recounts both traditions; The Constellations recounts only the latter, according to which Orion acquired from his father the ability to walk on the sea.1

The various accounts presented of Orion's death reflect a familiar theme in Greek myth: any mortal who is guilty of hubris, i.e., who boasts of his prowess or otherwise challenges the gods, incurs divine retribution (nemesis). Examples include women as well as men: Niobe, Arachne, Tantalus, Sisyphus.2

It would appear that Orion, regardless of his later connections, was originally a Boeotian hero.³ The stories of his birth are mostly of Boeotian origin; his grave-site was shown at Tanagra, where there was a hero-cult connected with him.

The blindness of Orion occurs on the island of Chios, home of the poet Homer, who, according to tradition, was also blind.⁴

Certain of the stories connected with Orion may be astral myths, i.e., myths that arose from the relative position in the sky of two or more constellations, or of one constellation and its position relative to the horizon. Such myths include the flight of the Bears from Orion; the flight of the Pleiades from Orion; the love of Eos for Orion; Orion's ability to walk on the sea; Orion's flight from the Scorpion.⁵

Orion is one of the five constellations mentioned by Homer. The Babylonian Tablet of the Thirty Stars refers to the asterism of the “Mighty-Man” which has been identified with either a Orionis alone, or with the northern part of the Greek constellation.⁶

Ps-Eratosthenes, Hyginus, and Hipparchus include seventeen stars in this constellation; Ptolemy lists thirty-eight.