Capricorn (constellation)

Originally posted to Shrubbery, 11 Oct 2003

There are a few different stories here. One of them states that Capricorn, the tenth zodiacal constellation, represents Amaltheia the sea-goat (half goat, half fish).

Chronus was, at one time, the chief of the Greek Titans. He had been warned that he would be overthrown by a child of his, so each time his wife Rhea gave birth he forced her to give him the child which he would then swallow.

This went on for some time until Rhea gave birth to Zeus. Not wanting to lose another child, she and her mother Gaia spirited the baby boy off to Crete where he was suckled and protected by Amaltheia. To appease Chronus, Rhea and Gaia disguised a rock in swaddling clothes and gave it to the god. Mistaking the rock for his child he swallowed it whole.

When Zeus had grown up he was able to defeat his father (loooooong story). He forced Chronus to regurgitate his brothers and sisters, who then became the senior Olympian gods.

In some versions of the story the goat's skin is later made into the aegis, Zeus' shield (some reward, that). In others, Zeus as a child accidentally breaks off one of Amaltheia's horns in play. Feeling badly about hurting his benefactor, Zeus gives the horn the ability to grant its owner unlimited food and drink. It becomes known as the Cornucopia or Horn of Plenty.