The gods of ancient Greece had complicated relationships. As an example, consider Ophiuchus. He’s represented by a constellation that passes across the southern sky on summer evenings.

The constellation represented Asclepius, the god of medicine and the son of the god Apollo.

In one version of the story, Asclepius killed a snake with his staff. But another snake dropped some herbs on the dead one, bringing it back to life. Asclepius then used those herbs to resurrect the son of King Minos.

Business was so good for Asclepius that fewer people were entering the underworld. So Hades, the god of the underworld, complained to Zeus, the king of the gods. Zeus then killed Asclepius with a lightning bolt.

But that didn’t sit well with Apollo. To appease him, Zeus placed Asclepius in the sky. Today, those stars are known as Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. He’s depicted with a snake wrapped around his waist. And that’s why the symbol for modern medicine is a pair of snakes wrapped around a staff – it represents the story of Ophiuchus.

Look for the serpent bearer high in the south as night falls. Its stars are faint. Under a dark sky, though, they form a pattern that resembles a coffee urn. It stands upright in early evening, but lies on its side later on. The constellation’s brightest star is at the top of the coffee pot – the “head of the serpent bearer.”

More about Ophiuchus tomorrow.

Script by Damond Benningfield