Cancer
deity sky Greek single tradition · 1
Cancer, also called Carcinus, is a giant crab in Greek mythology that dwelt in the lagoon of Lerna. It appears as a secondary character in the myth of the Twelve Labors of Heracles, where it is attacked by Heracles on Hera’s orders while the hero battles the Hydra of Lerna. After its defeat, Hera rewards the crab by turning it into the constellation of Cancer.
When
- First attested
- 2200 BCE
- Attested period
- -2200 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Mentioned by classical authors such as Plato, Apollodorus, and Hyginus.
Sources
wikipedia (1)
Source passages
“Cancer also known as Carcinus (Ancient Greek: Καρκίνος, romanized: Karkínos, lit. 'crab') or, simply the Crab, is a giant crab in Greek mythology that inhabited the lagoon of Lerna. He is a secondary character in the myth of the twelve labors of Heracles, who attacks Heracles on Hera's orders, while Heracles is in the midst of fighting the Hydra of Lerna.”
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