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Ursa Major the Wagon (1)

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05 Scientific knowledge and scholarly lore
05 Scientific knowledge and scholarly lore



 		Keywords
Achilles
constellations
Period
Greek Archaic Age
Neo-Assyrian Empire 		Channel
Greek poets

Text
The fifth line of the description of Achilles’ shield informs us that Ursa Major is called ‘Wagon’, as in the cuneiform texts, and that it circles around and does not set, which is also stated in the Mesopotamian astronomical texts.

Homer, Iliad 18.487-489:
And the Bear, which they also call by the name Wagon,
Which circles around in place and keeps an eye on Orion,
Alone not sharing in the bathings of the Ocean.

Source (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Homer, Iliad 18.487-489

Bibliography

Pingree 1998, 129Pingree, David. “Legacies in Astronomy and Celestial Omens.” In: S. Dalley (ed.). The Legacy of Mesopotamia. Oxford: Oxford University Press 1998, 125-137.

Links (external links will open in a new browser window)
Cf. Iliad and Mul Apin (1)
Cf. Moon and Sun in balance (1)
Cf. The Mesopotamian ominous constellations mentioned in Iliad (1)
Cf. The order of constellations (1)

Amar Annus


URL for this entry: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/database/gen_html/a0000167.php

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