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Orion was a son of Poseidon, and
famous as a hunter. He fell in love with, and courted,
Merope, but grew impatient at her father's conditions,
and raped her. Her father blinded him as punishment.
Orion, upon the advice of an oracle, traveled east to the
point where Helios arose from the ocean. Dawn fell in
love with Orion and slept with him, whereupon Helios (the
sun) cured his sight. Orion decided to seek out Merope's
father to get revenge, but Artemis persuaded him to
become her hunting companion instead. Apollo, fearing for
the chastity of his sister Artemis, sent a giant scorpion
to chase Orion. Unable to slay the scorpion, Orion set
out across the water to escape it. Apollo convinced
Artemis to shoot the bobbing object out on the waves. Her
arrow pierced Orion's head and killed him. In grief she
placed him in the heavens as the constellation Orion.
Apollo then placed the scorpion in the sky as a
constellation, where it still chases Orion. |
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