According to Houzeau, Libra was formed at the beginning of the second century B.C., and it does not appear in any writings before those of Geminus and Varron.[416]
Milton says in Paradise Lost:—
“The Eternal to prevent such horrid fray,
Hung forth in heaven his golden scales, yet seen
Betwixt Astræa and the Scorpion’s sign.”
(Here Astræa is Virgo.)
It is worth noticing that both Ptolemy and Al-Sufi rated the star κ Libræ as two magnitudes brighter than λ Libræ. The two stars are now practically of equal brightness (5th magnitude), and it seems impossible to believe that this could have been the case in Al-Sufi’s time. Surely a careful observer like Al-Sufi, who estimated the relative brightness of stars to a third of a magnitude, could not possibly have made an error of two magnitudes in the brightness of two stars near each other! It should be stated, however, that κ Libræ was rated 5th magnitude by Argelander and Heis, and λ, 6th magnitude by the same excellent observers.
The next “sign” of the Zodiac, Scorpion, was consecrated by the Romans to Mars, and by the Egyptians to Typhon.[417] It was called Nepa by Cicero, Martis sidus by Manilius, and Fera magna by Aratus. The Greek name was πάχον.
Mr. E. B. Knobel has called attention to a curious remark of Ptolemy with reference to the bright star Antares (α Scorpii), “Media earum quæ tendit ad rapinam quæ dicitur Cor Scorpionis”; and he made a similar remark with reference to Betelgeuse (α Orionis) and others. But Mr. Robert Brown[418] explains the remark by the fact that in ancient times these stars rose in the morning at a time when caravans were exposed to dangers from robbers. Thus the term had nothing to do with the aspect or colour of these stars, but was merely a reference to their supposed astrological influence on human affairs.
In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Silkit was a goddess who assumed the form of a scorpion in the sky. She was supposed to be the daughter of Ra.
With reference to stars “outside” the ancient figure of Scorpio, the first, Al-Sufi says, “is a star which immediately follows al-schaulat” [λ] and κ, “it is of small 4th magnitude; Ptolemy calls it νεφελοείδης” [nebulous]. Schjelerup, in his translation of Al-Sufi’s work, does not identify this object; but it is very evidently γ Telescopii, which lies exactly in the position described by Al-Sufi. Now, it is a very interesting and curious fact that Ptolemy called it nebulous, for in the same telescopic field with it is the nebula h 3705 (= Dunlop 557). Dunlop describes it as a “small well-defined rather bright nebula, about 20″ in diameter; a very small star precedes it, but is not involved; following γ Telescopii.” Sir John Herschel at the Cape found it fairly resolved into very faint stars, and adds, “The whole ground of the heavens, for an immense extent is thickly sown with such stars. A beautiful object.”[419] This perhaps accounts for the nebulous appearance of the star as seen by Ptolemy.
Several novæ or temporary stars are recorded as having appeared in Scorpio. One in the year B.C. 134 is stated by Pliny to have induced Hipparchus to form his catalogue of stars. This star was also observed in China. Its exact position is unknown, but Flammarion thinks it may possibly have appeared about 4° north of the star β Scorpii. Another new star is said to have appeared in A.D. 393, somewhere in the Scorpion’s tail. One in A.D. 1203 and another in 1584 are also mentioned, the latter near π Scorpii.