Canis Minor - History and Mythology

History and Mythology

The mythological Canis Minor is sometimes connected with the Teumessian Fox, a beast turned into stone with its hunter, Laelaps, by Zeus, who placed them in heaven as Canis Major (Laelaps) and Canis Minor (Teumessian Fox). Eratosthenes linked the Little Dog to Orion, while Hyginus linked the constellation with Maera, who was owned by Icarius of Athens. On discovering the latter's death, the dog and Icarius' daughter Erigone took their lives and were placed in the sky—Erigone as Virgo and Icarius as Boötes.

The Ancient Greeks called the constellation προκυων/Procyon, "coming before the dog", transliterated into Latin as Antecanis and other variations by Cicero and others. Procyon and Gomeisa were recorded as MASH-TAB-BA or "twins" in the Mesopotamian Three Stars Each tablets, dating to around 1100 BC.

Canis Minor was one of the original 48 constellations formulated by Ptolemy in his 2nd-century Almagest, in which it was defined as a specific pattern of stars. However, Ptolemy only identified two stars and hence no depiction was possible. Johann Bayer also termed it Fovea "The Pit", and Morus "Sycamine Tree". German poet and author Philippus Caesius linked it to the dog of Tobias from the Apocrypha.