HERCULES

, in Astronomy, a constellation of the northern hemisphere, and one of the 48 old constellations mentioned by ancient writers.

It is not known by what name it was distinguished by the Egyptians and others before the Greeks. These latter, perhaps not knowing its real name, first called it simply the kneeling man, because he is drawn in that posture; but they afterwards successively ascribed it to, and called it by the names of, Cetheus, Theseus, and lastly Hercules, which it still retains.

The stars in this constellation, in Ptolomy's catalogue, are 29; in Tycho's 28; and in the Britannic catalogue, 113.