Callisto
nymphCallisto was a companion of Artemis who was seduced by Zeus and transformed into a bear — placed in the sky as Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation.
The Myth
Callisto was a huntress devoted to Artemis's virginal band. Zeus, disguised as Artemis, seduced her. When her pregnancy was discovered, Artemis expelled her. Hera (or Artemis) transformed her into a bear. Her son Arcas, raised by others, nearly killed her while hunting. Zeus intervened, placing both among the stars: Callisto as Ursa Major and Arcas as Ursa Minor (or Arcturus). Hera, furious that her rival was honoured, asked Tethys to forbid the constellations from bathing in the ocean — which is why Ursa Major never sets below the horizon at Greek latitudes.
Parents
Children
Arcas (by Zeus)
Symbols
Fun Fact
Jupiter's moon Callisto — the third largest moon in the solar system — is named after this nymph who became the Great Bear.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
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