Constellation List
Star List
By Season
Alphabetical
Latitudes
Minneapolis, MN (45°N)
NorthPole (90°N)
Prudhoe Bay, AK (70°N)
St.Petersburg,
Russia(60°N)
Prague, C.R. (50°N)
Philadelphia, PA (40°N)
Albuquerque, NM (35°N)
New Orleans, LA (30°N)
Santiago, Cuba (20°N)
Caracas,
Venezuela (10°N)
Quito, Ecuador (0°N)
Port Moresby,
New Guinea(10°S)
Porto Alegre,
Brazil (30°S)
Montevideo,
Uruguay(35°S)
Queenstown, NZ (45°S)
South Pole (90°S)
Bibliography and Credits
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Pisces
The Fish (plural)
The Story
Aphrodite and Eros
The Fish represent Aphrodite and her son Eros (to the Romans, Venus and Amor, who was also known as Cupid). Aphrodite was the Goddess of Love and Eros was her son with Ares, the God of War, known as Mars to the Romans. Aphrodite represents love and Eros, desire.
Aphrodite and Eros
Like the figure of Capricornus, the figure of Pisces refers to battle with the monstrous Typhon in the ten year war whereby the younger gods overthrew the elder Titans. One day the gods were surprised by the approach of the monster. The goat god Pan shouted a warning and tried to change himself into a fish. Aphrodite took her little boy Eros and attempted to hide among the reeds on the banks of the Euphrates River.
Safety with the Fishes
In one version of the story two fish swam up to carry Aphrodite and her child to safety. In another version of the story, Aphrodite and Eros were changed into fish themselves and swam away to safety.
Fishes on a String
As they appear in the sky, the two fish are tied together by a cord. Some say that Aphrodite tied the little boy to her body so that he would not get lost as they swam away to safety.
A Mesopotamian Origin?
This constellation probably was originally derives from Mesopotamia. According to Ridpath the Babylonians originally had a constellation of two fish joined by a cord in this area of the sky.
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