The horrible earthborn giant Typhoeus suddenly appeared one day, startling all the gods into taking on different forms to flee. Jupiter, for instance, transformed himself into a ram; Mercury became an ibis; Apollo took on the shape of a crow; Diana hid herself as a cat; and Bacchus disguised himself as a goat. Venus and her son Cupid were bathing on the banks of the Euphrates River that day, and took on the shapes of a pair of fish to escape danger. Minerva later immortalized the event by placing the figures of two fish amongst the stars.
The zodiacal constellation Pisces represents two fish, tied together with a cord. The constellation is not particularly bright or easy to find, but is near Pegasus and Aquarius.
These pages are the work of Cathy Bell .
Back
to the main myth page.