The Constellation
Libra |
 |
 |
Mythology and History |
 |
 |
The Romans invented Libra and gave it importance as a constellation
of the Zodiac. Libra was "the Scales of Justice" held by Julius Caesar.
Later the scales became associated with Virgo, the Goddess of Justice.
The Romans choose a scale because when the zodiac was still in its infancy,
some four thousand years ago, the sun passed through this constellation
at the autumnal equinox (September 21). That is, day and night were
of equal length, and the day would begin to lengthen from that day on. |
|
The ancient Greeks did not recognize Libra. Instead
they saw it as part of Scorpius. Libra made up the two claws of the
scorpion. |
|
As a symbol for equality, the constellation came to represent
Justice in several middle Eastern cultures. |
Eventually the stars of Libra came
to represent the Golden Chariot of Pluto. The story of Pluto's abduction
of Persephone is a widely known Greek myth, perhaps because it has such
a strong astronomical association. Hades was a brother of Zeus and
of Poseidon; he was usually ignorant of the happenings of the Upperworld,
only emerging rarely from his dark kingdom.
It was considered imprudent and dangerous
to mention the names of certain gods and goddesses. Thus the Furies,
or Cronies, were called Eumenides (Kindly Ones), and Hades was called Pluto
(Rich One).
His golden chariot was pulled by four
jet-black horses. While he used the chariot to periodically visit the Upperworld,
in order to seduce a beautiful nymph, he rarely wished the relationship
to last. Until he saw Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus.
When he took Persephone back to Tartarus, the deepest part of Hades, the
Upperworld would change forever.
Deep beneath the Earth, he owned all
its mineral riches, but his favorite possession was a gift from the Cyclopes:
a helmet that rendered him invisible.
Demeter was the sister of Zeus and
Hades, and one of the most important of goddesses as she was responsible
for Agriculture, and all growing things. Hades is so enamoured by
the beauty of Persephone, he wants her for his own, so takes her by force
down to his kingdom, where she becomes the Queen of the Underworld.
Demeter mourns for her lost daughter and begs the other gods for help.
So Theseus and Peiritheus descend into Hades in search of Persephone, but
are unsuccessful. In fact, they are held captive by Hades, and Heracles
is sent to rescue them. He can only manage to bring back Theseus; Peiritheus
is condemned to remain forever in Hades.
Demeter is so distraught about the
loss of her daughter she neglected her godly duties and no seeds sprouted.
A vast drought spreads throughout the Upperworld. Zeus becomes vexed, for
he is owed a certain tribute, and if the drought continues his tribute
will not be forthcoming. Some accounts give Zeus a more noble reason
for acting on his sister's behalf: that he empathizes with Demeter and
wishes to rectify her loss. In any event, he convinces his brother Hades
to give up Persephone, so that the Upperworld can again become green and
lush.
Zeus rules that she must forever divide
her time between the Upperworld and the Underworld; four months out of
the year she must stay with her husband, while the rest of the year she
may visit her mother, in the Upperworld. Thus every year the world
retreats briefly into a cold and forbidding place, until the 21st of March,
when Persephone is allowed to emerge from the Underworld, bringing Spring
with her.
|
The Egyptians also saw Libra as a set of scales, one in which
the human heart was to be weighted after death, "the Scales of Justice." |
|
In India, the constellation was called Tula, meaning
"a balance," showed a man bent on one knee, holding the scales. |
|
The ancient Chinese called the constellation Show Sing,
"the Star of Longevity," but later generation changed the name to Tien
Ching, meaning "the Celestial Balance." |
back to Constellation Table
- Planetarium Home Page
|
