Virgo

Virgo as defined in the 1920s. IAU and Sky & Telescope

Virgo, The Maiden, is a constellation in the zodiac. It is documented since the 4th century BCE (at least). Prior to this, there had been the constellation of The Furrow at this place.

Etymology and History of the Constellation Name

Who is depicted here?

History of Naming the Region

Mediaeval and Renaissance Time

Origin of Constellation

Leo and Virgo above the MUŠ-Dragon, two claytablet drawings from the Seleucid era (roughly 2nd century BCE), CC BY SMH based upon the drawings by E. Weidner (1967) and Thureau-Dangin (1922).

Kugel Globe: Cancer, Leo, Hydra, Virgo (drawing by SMH 2024)

Almagest

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Παρθένου ἀστερισμός
1	τῶν ἐν ἄκρῳ τῷ κρανίῳ β ὁ νότιος.	the southernmost of the 2 stars in the top of the skull	nu Vir
2	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν.	The northernmost of them	xi Vir
3	ὁ τῶν ἐπομένων αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ β ὁ βορειότερος.	The northernmost of the 2 stars to the rear of these, in the face	omi Vir
4	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	pi Vir
5	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς νοτίου καὶ ἀριστερᾶς πτέρυγος.	The star on the tip of the southern, left wing	bet Vir
6	τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ πτέρυγι δ ὁ προηγούμευος.	The most advanced of the"4 stars in the left wing	eta Vir
	ὁ τούτῳ ἑπόμενος.	The one to the rear of this	gam Vir
	ὁ ἔτι τούτῳ ἐπόμενος.	The one to the rear again of this	46 Vir
	ὁ ἔσχατος καὶ ἐπόμευος τῶν δ	The last and rearmost of the 4	tet Vir
	ὁ ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ πλευρῷ ὑπὸ τὴν ξώνηη	The star in the right side under the girdle	del Vir
	τῶν ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ καὶ βορεύῳ πτέρυψι γ’ ὁ προηγούμενος	The most advanced of the 3 stars in the right, northern wing	rho Vir
	τῶν λοιπῶν β’ ὁ νότιος	The southernmost of the other 2	32 Vir
	ὁ βόρειος αὐτῶν καὶ καλούμενος Προτρογητήρ	The northernmost of these, called 'Vindemiatrix'	eps Vir
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀκροχείρου ὁ καλούμενος Στάχυς	The star on the .. left hand, called 'Spica'	alf Vir
	ὁ ὑπὸ τὸ περίξωμα ὡς κατὰ τοῦ δεξιοῦ γλουτοῦ.	The star under the apron, just about over the right buttock	zet Vir
	τοῦ ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ μηρῷ τετραπλεύρου τῆς προηγουμένης. πλευρᾶς ὁ βόρειος.	The quadrilateral in the left thigh: the northern star on the advance side	74 Vir
	ὁ νότιος τῆς προηγουμένης πλευρᾶς.	The quadrilateral in the left thigh: the southern star.on the advance side	76 Vir
	τῆς ἐπομένης πλευρᾶς τῶν β’ ὁ βορειότερος.	The quadrilateral in the left thigh: the northernmost of the 2 stars on the rear side	82 Vir
	ὁ νοτιώτερος τῆς ἐπομένης πλευρᾶς	The quadrilateral in the left thigh: the southernmost star on the rear side	68 Vir
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ γόνατος	The star on t he lel't knee	86 Vir
	ὁ ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ ὀπισθομήρῳ.	The star in the back of the right thigh	90 Vir
	τῶν ἐν τῷ περιποδίῳ σύρματι 7’ ὁ μέσος.	The middle star of the 3 in the garment·hem round the feet	iot Vir
	ὁ φότιος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of them	kap Vir
	ὁ βόρειος τῶν τριῶν	The northernmost of thc three	phi Vir
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ καὶ νοτίου ἀκρόποδος	The star an the left, southern foot	lam Vir
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ καὶ βορεύου ἀκρόποδος.	The star on the right, northern foot	mu Vir
	ἀστέρες κε, ὧν αἱ μεγέθους ἂ, γ’ς, δ’ ξ, ε'ι, ς’ β	26 stars, 1 of the lirst magnitude, 6 of the third, 7 of the fourth, 10 of the fifth, 2 of the sixth
	Οἱ περὶ τὴν Παρθένου ἀμόρφωτοι.	Stars araund Virgo outside the constellation
	τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν ἀριστερὸν πῆχυν ἐπ’ εὐθείας τριῶν ὁ προἠγούμενος	Thc most advanced ofthe three in a straight line under the left forearm	chi Vir
	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one of these	psi Vir
	ὁ ἑπόμενος τῶν γ	The rearmost of the 3	49 Vir
	τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν Στάχυν ὡς ἐπ’ εὐθείας γ’ ὁ προηγούμενος	Thc most advanced of the 3 stars almost on a straight line under Spica	53 Vir
	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν καὶ διπλοῦς	The middle one of thcse, which isadouble star	61 + 63 Vir
	ὁ ἐπόμενος τῶν τριῶν	The rearmost of the three	89 Vir
	ἀστέρες ξ, ὥν ἐ μεγέθους ὅ, ς’ β	6 stars, 4 of the fifth magnitude, 2 of thc sixth

Transformation of constellation image

• 

  Sco-Lib+Furrow+Leo in Stellarium "MUL.APIN"

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  Leo and Virgo above the MUŠ-Dragon, two claytablet drawings from the Seleucid era (roughly 2nd century BCE), CC BY SMH based upon the drawings by E. Weidner (1967) and Thureau-Dangin (1922).

• 

  Leo+Hya+Vir drawings of VAT7847+AO6884 on Stellarium map

• 

  Drawing of the Babylonian version of the Maiden constellation by Papke (1987)

• 

  Leo and Vir above Hydra on the circular Dendera Zodiac, mapped to Stellarium

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  Cancer, Leo, Virgo above Hydra on Greek Kugel Globe (1st century)

Weblinks

• Ridpath, Ian, “Star Tales: online edition”.