CALLISTO

Callisto was one of the many sexual conquests of Zeus, king of the gods, and therefore one of many characters in Greek mythology who suffered the jealous anger of Hera, Zeus’s wife and queen. Hera transformed Callisto into a bear, which according to legend is the Great Bear constellation seen in the night sky.

Callisto was either a nymph or the daughter of

Lycaon, a powerful king of Pelasgia. Both he and his sons were well known for being ruthless and untrustworthy. One day Zeus disguised himself as a humble workman and visited Lycaon to investigate his behavior.

When Zeus arrived in Pelasgia, Lycaon made a human sacrifice on Zeus’s altar and then offered his guests some of the sacrifice to eat. Zeus was so disgusted by this blasphemy that he hurled thunderbolts at Lycaon and his sons, killing them instantly. Other versions of the myth have it that Zeus killed the sons but turned Lycaon into a wolf. Zeus then ordered a huge flood (Deucalion’s Flood) to inundate and cleanse the earth.

After the death of her father and brothers, Callisto sought refuge with Artemis (Diana in Rome), goddess of the hunt. Artemis was renowned for her chastity and her dislike of male company. She lived in the forest, where she hunted with a select band of young women who were all sworn to virginity and loyalty to the goddess.

Zeus saw Callisto asleep in the forest. He disguised himself as Artemis and succeeded in seducing Callisto, who became pregnant. Fearful of the consequences if her pregnancy should be discovered, Callisto succeeded in hiding her condition from Artemis and her companions for nearly nine months. One hot day, however, the band of huntresses went down to the stream to bathe. As the young women disrobed, Callisto could no longer hide her secret. The goddess was furious at Callisto’s breach of the rules of virginity, and in spite of the girl’s pleading, Artemis exiled

Above: This early diagram of the Great Bear constellation comes from an Arabic manuscript. The Greek myth of Callisto explains how the bear came to be in the sky.

Callisto from the band. One of the most famous depictions of the banishment of Callisto is a painting by the Venetian artist Titian (c. 1489—1576) entitled Diana and Callisto. Soon after the banishment Callisto, wandering alone in the forest, gave birth to a baby boy, whom she named Arcas.