Hercules

Her star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Greco-Roman

Eratosthenes

Var. 1 (Τοῦ ἐν γόρασιν): It appears to be Heracles trampling the Serpent underfoot. The hero can be clearly seen brandishing his club and wrapped in his lion skin. It is said that, on his quest for the golden apples, he killed the snake that had been placed there as a guardian. Hera had placed it there precisely so that it would confront Heracles. This is why, once this extremely perilous task had been completed, Zeus deemed the ordeal worthy of remembrance and placed the image among the constellations. On one side is the snake, raising its head; on the other, Heracles, trampling it underfoot, immobilising it under one knee while crushing its head with his other foot, brandishing his club in his right hand as if he were about to strike it, while his left arm is wrapped in his lion's skin. He has a shining star on his head, one on his right arm, one on each shoulder, one on his left elbow, one at the end of his arm, one on each side -the brightest being the one on the left flank-, two on the right thigh, one on the bent knee, two on the calf, one on the foot, one above the the right hand, called ‘the Mace’, and four on the lion's skin. In all, nineteen.

Var. 2 (Τοῦ ἐν γόρασιν): It shows Heracles trampling underfoot the Serpent. One <distinguishes clearly> the hero's posture, protected by his lion skin. It is said that he <set out> in search of the golden apples, and killed <the snake> which had been put there as a guard, at the cost of many difficulties. For the snake had a great many different voices, was of exceptional size, of impressive strength, and sleep had no hold on it. <...> This Heracles has a star on his head, one on his arm, one shining on each shoulder, one on his left elbow <...>, one on his calf, <one> under his right hand called ‘the Mace’. Thirteen in all.

la la la

Almagest Ἐγγόνασι.

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Τοῦ ἐν γόρασιν ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Hercules
1	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς	The star on the head	alf Her
2	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ὅμου παρὰ τὴν μασχάληη	The star on the right shoulder by the armpit	bet Her
3	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ βραχίουος.	The star on the right upper arm	gam Her
4	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἀγκῶνος	The star on the right elbow	kap Her
5	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ὤμου	The star on the left shoulder	del Her
6	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ βραχίουος	The star on the left upper arm	lam Her
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος	The star on the left elbow	mu Her
	τῶν ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ καρπῷ ν’ ὁ ἐπόμευος	The rearmost of the 3 stars in the left wrist	omi Her
	τῶν λοιπῶν β ὁ βόρειος.	The northernmost of the other 2	nu Her
	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	xi Her
	ὁ ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ πλευρᾷ.	The star in the right side	zet Her
	ὁ ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ πλευρᾷ	The star in the left side	eps Her
	ὁ τούτου βορειότερος ἐπὶ τοῦ γλουτοῦ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ,	The one north of the latter, on the left buttock	59 Her
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκφύσεως τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηροῦ.	The one on the place where the thigh joins the same [buttock]	61 Her
	τῶν ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ μηρῷ τριῶν ὁ προηγούμεσος;	The most advanced of the 3 in the left thigh	pi Her
	ὁ τούτῳ ἐπόμευος	The one to the rear of this	69 Her
	ὁ ἔτι τούτῳ ἑπόμενος.	The one yet further to the rear of this	rho Her
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ γόνατος.	The star on the left knee	tet Her
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀντικρημίου.	The star on the left shin	iot Her
	τῶν ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ ἀκροποδίῳ ἢ ὁ προηγούμενος.	The most advanced of the 3 stars in the left foot	74 Her
	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν.	The middle one of the three	77 Her
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The rearmost of them	82 Her
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκφόσεως τοῦ δεξιοῦ μηροῦ.	The star on the place where the right thigh joins [the buttock]	eta Her
	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ μηρῷ.	The star north of it in the same thigh	sig Her
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ γόνατος	The star on the right knee	tau Her
	τῶν ὑπὸ τὸ δεξιὸν γόνυ β’ ὁ νοτιώτερος.	The southernmost of the 2 stars under the right knee	phi Her
	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν.	The northernmost of them	ups Her
	ὁ ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ κυήμῃ.	The star in the right lower leg	chi Her
	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ δεξιοῦ ποδὸς ὁ αὐτός ἐστι τῷ ἐπ’ ἄκρῳ τοῦ κολλορόβου	The star on the end of the right leg is the same as the one on the tip of the staff	-
	χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἀστέρες κη, ὧν γ’ μεγέθουςξ, δ’ ὕ, εβ,ς γ	Not counting the latter, 28 stars, 6 of the third magmtude, 17 of the fourth, 2 of the fifth, 3 of the sixth
	ὁ ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ ἀμόρφωτος	Star outside this constellation
	ὁ νοτιώτερος τοῦ ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ βραχίουι.	The star south of the one in the right upper arm	ome Her
	ἀστὴρ ἂ μεγέθους ἐ	l star of the fifth magnitude

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)