Description: The first ancient Greek works which dealt with the constellations were books of star myths. The oldest of these was a poem composed by Hesiod in the C8th BC, of which only fragments survive.The most complete extant works dealing with the mythical origins of the constellations are by the Hellenstic writer termed pseudo-Eratosthenes and an early... ( +expand to view full text )

Description: The first ancient Greek works which dealt with the constellations were books of star myths. The oldest of these was a poem composed by Hesiod in the C8th BC, of which only fragments survive.The most complete extant works dealing with the mythical origins of the constellations are by the Hellenstic writer termed pseudo-Eratosthenes and an early Roman writer styled pseudo-Hyginus. Each of these drew extensively from the writings of older sources (Hesiod and his successors) and provide a clear overview of the stories that lay behind the star groups we are familiar with today.