Leo is associated withfire, accompanied byAries andSagittarius, and its modality isfixed. InGreek mythology, the constellation is created byZeus in commemoration of his sonHeracles' completion of his first labour, the defeat of theNemean lion.[3] The lion is a very important and prominent symbol in Greek mythology.[4][5]
Leo on the reverse of the gold coin ofJahangir of India
Egyptians worshipped the constellation, which they referred to as "Knem", because it was present during the flooding of the Nile River. This event signified plentiful harvests for the upcoming year, and the people interpreted it as a gift from the earth. Ruler of Egypt,Tutankhamun's gold throne features lion heads where the seat and front legs meet, as well as clawed feet at the end of each leg, symbolizing power and royalty.[6]
^Snodgrass, E (1997).Signs of the Zodiac : A Reference Guide to Historical, Mythological, and Cultural Associations. Greenwood Publishing Group.ISBN9780313008177.
Astronomical Applications Department (2011).Multiyear Computer Interactive Almanac. 2.2.2. Washington DC: US Naval Observatory. Longitude of Sun, apparent geocentric ecliptic of date, interpolated to find time of crossing 0°, 30°....
March, Jenny, "Labor I: The Nemean Lion", inThe Oxford Handbook of Heracles, pp. 29–44, edited by Daniel Ogden, Oxford University Press, 2021.ISBN978-0-190-65101-5.
"Leo".Britannica. August 11, 2023. RetrievedNovember 27, 2023.
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