Hyginus, Poeticon astronomicon

Greek writers like Hesiod and Aratos compiled ancient stories of the constellations, often in poetic form, with memorable instructions for locating bright stars and zodiac constellations. Constellations of the zodiac contain the wandering courses of the planets and the annual path of the Sun. Familiarity with the stars enabled one to coordinate the affairs of life, including agricultural cycles, with the sky at night.

Hyginus, a Roman poet, conveyed this body of practical knowledge into Latin. Hyginus followed the order and naming of the constellations as listed in the Almagest of Ptolemy (2d century C.E.). Charming constellation figures are hand-colored in this copy. It was printed by Erhard Ratdolt, a renowned early printer of works in astronomy and geometry.