Galilean moons; in order right to left, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
The Galilean Moons’ True Identity
On January 7, 1610, Galileo had just recently invented the telescope and was panning around the night sky until consequently, after fixing the lens towards the planet Jupiter; he noticed three small orbs of light situated around the planet. These were to become the most famous and beloved moons outside of our own, and Galileo watched these ‘objects’ orbit the planet for weeks afterward (they ‘moved’ around it)—thus becoming the first extraterrestrial moons discovered.
Because of the funds given by the Medici family to support his advances in astronomy, Galileo planned to name the moons he discovered after the four Medici brothers. (Galileo discovered three moons at first, but soon found a fourth, supposed to be Callisto today, orbiting rather farther away from the planet than the rest—therefore making it logical that it would be Callisto). The four moons would be called the Medici planets, because Galileo had not yet actually noticed they were moons—he thought it was perhaps another ‘solar system,’ or something of the other.
So, when Galileo reported to the world of his discovery, he called the moons: Principharus, Victipharus, Cosmipharus and Ferdinandipharus. It is suggested that his ‘disciple’ Hodierna (creator of the first ephemerides) suggested these names, so we might be giving Galileo much more credit than he deserves.Galileo called these moons in general the Medici Sidera (Latin for ‘Medici stars’) and the moons with their newly given names were published in Galileo’s short, Latin treatise called the Sidereus Nuncius (usually translated ‘the Sidereal Messenger,’ but more literally ‘a report relating to the stars’) published in March of 1610. Now this brought up controversy—larger than Galileo had expected.
As you know today, the Galilean moons had names that are different than what they were above. We know these moons with rather uncommon names: Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede. But how did these names stick? German astronomer Simon Marius (January 10, 1573 – December 26, 1624) in 1614 published his work Mundus Iovialis (‘The World of Jupiter,’ in Latin, respectively) describing the planet Jupiter and its moons. He claimed he discovered the moons days before Galileo did, leading both himself and Galileo into an argument of who discovered what first. It is considered possible that Marius discovered the moons independently, but at least some days later than Galileo, as resolved today.
Regardless of who first discovered these moons, the mythological names finally became what we know them of today. This quick verse from Marius’ Mundus Iovialis shows us how the moons became named after mythological characters and not the Medici brothers. Three of the four mythological characters come from the Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses, or ‘changes,’ speaking of the fate of three mythological beings.
Io, Europa, Ganimedes puer, atque Calisto
lascivo nimium perplacuere Iovi.
When translating this passage, we get: “Io, Europa, the boy Ganymede and (even) Callsito / pleased lustful Jupiter very much.” When examining this passage even more, we get a better literal translation: “Io, Europa, the boy Ganymede and (even) Callisto / gave pleasure beyond measure (excessive) to lustful Jupiter.” (perplacuere is a dative-relating verb, as lascivo...Iovi can be put in dative, as well as simplified when perplacuere is simplified to just ‘pleased,’ rather than its literal translation of ‘gave pleasure (to).’)
Although Galileo never accepted this (Marius was already an arch-enemy), he couldn’t use his original names because of how prevalent Marius’ names pertained to the picture. If you examine each of the character’s stories, you will notice how they did ‘please lustful Jupiter,’ as the Latin describes. Galileo started labeling the moons in Roman numerals (I is Io, II is Europa, III is Ganymede, and IIII (IV) is Callisto, written in distance order. Io is closest, and Callisto is farthest, etc.) So, even though Galileo never published his Roman numeral names (for the moons), we still use the numerals and their names—which their stories are told following.
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IO
Part I
In the time when the gods and goddesses ruled the land of ancient Greece, there once was a grove in Haemonia, which is Thessaly today in modern Greece. In Haemonia lay a grove with wooded cliffs surrounding the lush valley called Tempe. Along the banks of the river Peneus which makes its way through the valley, beautiful flowers and reeds grow, carefree as the young world itself. Water gushes through the riverbed carved by foaming waters and clouds replenish its source with rain from the gods, making Tempe more beautiful after every storm. Fields of flowers bloom and die as time progresses and new trees sprout and grow; yet, in the center of such a utopia rests a home in the innermost sanctuary of Peneus. In this rocky cavern was seated the one who ruled the waters and the nymphs that lived in them, unsure out of Spercheus among poplars, restless Enipeus, gentle Amphrysus, Aeas and ancient Apidanus; and then later all the others that, by which whatever carries them, bringing their wandering waters to the sea. But, out of these, only Inachus is missing. Only he himself knows where had put himself, hidden in the deepest cave where he sits and cries pitifully, lamenting over his daughter Io, not knowing whether she is dead or alive. After searching for days on end, Io is missing and his heart fears worse than death.
But at that time while Inachus mourned, Io returned to her father’s stream and Jupiter caught a glimpse of her beauty. It took only one glimpse, for Jupiter proclaimed to himself: ‘Virgin, worthy of Jupiter himself, who will make some unknown man happy when you share his bed, while it is hot and the sun is at the highest point of its arc, find shade in the deep woods! (And he showed her the woods’ shade). But if you are afraid to enter the wild beasts’ lairs, you can go into the remote woods in safety, protected by a god, and not by any lesser god, but by the one who holds the sceptre of heaven in his mighty hand, and who hurls the flickering bolts of lightning. Do not fly from me!’ But after Io heard Jupiter approaching her, she quickly ran behind Lerna’s lush pastures and the Lyrcean plain’s wooded fields. Although Io was as swift as a stag, Jupiter, who was not mortal, quickly ran up to her in a fog-covered field and seduced her, careless if anyone was watching. But lo, there was.
Part II
Juno, the wife of Jupiter, looked down into the heart of Argos and the mist-covered fields that Jupiter had created for concealing his deed. When Juno couldn’t find her husband anywhere, she proclaimed to the heavens: ‘Either I am wrong, or being wronged’ and saying that, glided down from the celestial heights, she placed herself on earth, with Jupiter in view. But Jupiter knew of his wife’s arrival and had quickly changed Io into a beautiful heifer with a luxurious coat of gleaming fur. She was beautiful before, but now she was still as beautiful. Even in that form she was beautiful. Jupiter meanwhile had turned himself into a cloud, but Juno wasn’t fooled. She approved greatly of the animal’s looks, and asked many a sort of questions like ‘Where did she come from?’ and ‘What herd?’ Jupiter, to stop being inquired, lied, saying she had been born from the earth. Then Juno took Io as a gift. What could Jupiter do to stop her? ‘Shame urges him to it, Amor urges not. Amor would have conquered Shame, but if he refused so slight a gift as a heifer to the companion of his race and bed, it might appear no heifer!’
So, Juno left with Io, still a heifer, and in good time became under the watch of Argus, son of Arestor, appointed by Juno. Argus was quite hideous with a hundred eyes round his head, that took their rest two at a time in succession while the others kept watch and stayed on guard. Io was in his watch infinitely because if he turned his back, he could still see her with his one-hundred eyes. Io was allowed to graze in the light of the sun, but when the moon and the stars were revealed, Argus placed Io in a pen, and fastened a rope made of twine around her innocent neck. For weeks she faithfully grazed on the leaves of trees and bitter herbs; Io was a heifer and it had looked like Juno intended that she stay that was for some time. Io was right in the mind, though. After she drank muddy water from the streams around her, she often wished to stretch her arms, but she had none. Often she tried to complain, but scared herself by her lowing. Often she came to Inachus’s riverbanks to drink and was frightened by her appearance, fleeing in anguish.
As she drank from the riverbanks of Inachus, she allowed herself to be petted by Inachus and her sisters; occasionally Inachus would pull some grasses and feed them to her, licking her father’s hand and kissing his palm. If only she could speak to him would Io be content and with her hoof in the dust scratched out the tragic story of her changed form. ‘Pity me!’ Inachus responded clinging to her beautiful white neck.
‘Pity me!’ he sighed; ‘Are you really my daughter I searched the wide world for? There was less sadness with you lost than found! Without speech, you do not answer in words to mine, only heave deep sighs from your breast, and all you can do is low in reply to me. Unknowingly I was arranging marriage and a marriage-bed for you, hoping for a son-in-law first and then grandchildren. Now you must find a mate from the herd, and from the herd get you a son. I am not allowed by dying to end such sorrow; it is hard to be a god, the door of death closed to me, my grief goes on immortal forever.’ As Inachus continued morning Io’s changed form, Argus came and dragged Io away from her dear father’s arms. He put Io in a valley and sat upon a high mountain, keeping watch on all sides.
Part III
Meanwhile, Jupiter had been watching poor Io suffer as a heifer and calls forth Mercury, his son, to go and kill Argus. Mercury quickly obeys his father and puts on his winged sandals and golden cap while carrying his sleep-inducing wand in his immortal hand. When Mercury arrived on earth, he disguised himself as a shepherd, driving stolen she-goats and playing a reed pipe. Argus, who heard such beautiful music, became deeply distracted and called to Mercury: ‘You there, whoever you are, you could sit here beside me on this rock; there’s no better grass elsewhere for your flock, and you can see that the shade is fine for shepherds.’ Both talked for quite some time while Mercury (still playing his reed pipe) tried to conquer those watching eyes. Argus closed some of his eyes, but the others remained open. After a few hours of conversation, Argus wished to hear of how this reed pipe was invented, because it had just only been invented, so Mercury explained: ‘On Arcadia’s cold mountain slopes among the wood nymphs, the hamadryads, of Mount Nonacris, one was the most celebrated: the nymphs called her Syrinx. She had often escaped from the satyrs chasing her, and from others of the demi-gods that live in shadowy woods and fertile fields. But she followed the worship of the Ortygian goddess in staying virgin. Her dress caught up like Diana she deceives the eye, and could be mistaken for Leto’s daughter, except that her bow is of horn, and the other’s is of gold. Even so she is deceptive. Pan, whose head is crowned with a wreath of sharp pine shoots, saw her, coming from Mount Lycaeus, and spoke to her.’
Still wishing to relate what Pan had said and how the nymph ran through the woods until she got to the calm waters of sandy Ladon and how when the river stopped her, she begged her sisters to change her; and how Pan, when he thought he now had Syrinx, found he only had a nymph’s body in the marsh, Mercury was charmed at such an art storytelling was and resumed, saying: ‘This way of communing with you is still left to me’ So unequal lengths of reed, joined together with wax, preserved the girl’s name.
Part IV
Quickly after that, Argus was sound asleep and Mercury stopped and caressed his drowsy eyes with his magic wand. After that, he struck Argus’ head with his curved sword sending the head and a pool of blood down the magnificent precipice, staining the once-beautiful rocks. Mercury, prideful of his victory, called out to the remains of Argus: ‘Argus, you are overthrown, the light of your many eyes is extinguished, and one dark sleeps under so many eyelids!’
At that point, watching Mercury and Argus, Juno reached where Jupiter was and said to him: ‘Put an end to her immeasurable suffering. When she reached you, she fell forward onto her knees on the riverbank and turning back her long neck with her face upwards, in the only way she could, looked to the sky, and with groans and tears and sad lowing seemed to reproach you and beg you to end her troubles.’ With that having been said, Jupiter threw his arms around his wife’s neck and pleaded for an end to vengeance between them, saying ‘Do not fear, in future she will never be a source of pain’ and he called the Stygian waters to witness his words. With those words having been said, Io regained her human figure. Nothing that was a heifer was Io, except for her paleness. With two legs, Io stood and rose, fearing to still speak like a heifer, sounding out long, neglected, words.
In due time, she returned to her father and is worshipped today, as a greatly honored goddess. Because of Jupiter, she bore a son, Epaphus, who shared his mother’s temples. Still today, the people consider him born of Jupiter’s mighty seed. As he grew a demi-god (half mortal, half-immortal), he quickly befriended Phaethon, as that leads into another story.
[Quotes were taken from Modern translation [that is, from Ovid's Metamorphoses translation] The Quotes are NOT MY OWN WORK. all other text of the story was written by Matthew Winter.]
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EUROPA
Part I
NOTE -- the other three moons are coming soon!
