The ancient Greeks called this
constellation Therium, representing an unspecified wild animal,
while the Romans called it Bestia, the Beast. It was visualized
as impaled on a long pole called a thyrsus, held by the adjoining constellation of
Centaurus, the Centaur. Consequently, the constellations of the
Centaur and the animal were usually regarded as a combined
figure.
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Lupus is visualized as being impaled on a pole held by Centaurus
who is holding it out towards Ara, the altar, as though about to
sacrifice it. This illustration is from the Uranographia of Johann Bode.
According to the historian George
Michanowsky in his book The Once and
Future Star, the Babylonians knew
this constellation as UR-IDIM, meaning ‘wild dog’.
Eratosthenes said that the Centaur was holding the animal
towards the altar (the constellation Ara) as though about to
sacrifice it. Hyginus referred to the animal as simply ‘a
victim’, while Germanicus Caesar said that the Centaur
was either carrying game from the woods, or was bringing gifts
to the altar. The identification of this constellation with a
wolf seems to have started in Renaissance times.
One is tempted to recall the story of
Lycaon, king of the Arcadians, who served Zeus with the flesh
of the god’s own son and was punished by being turned
into a wolf (see Boötes). But that
story has no connection with this constellation, which seems to
have been overlooked by the mythologists. The fact that it is
an imported constellation probably explains why the Greeks had
no myths for it. None of the stars of Lupus have names.
© Ian Ridpath. All rights reserved
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