Pisces – the Ancient Greek Myth behind the Zodiac Sign

The Zodiac sign of Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Pisces; the Latin word for fish is the 12th and last sign of the zodiac, a water sign ruled by the planet Neptune, one of the oldest zodiac signs on record dating back to 2300 BC.

This Zodiac sign represented by two fish (sometimes by koi fish) is associated with the ancient Greek myth of Aphrodite and Eros.

Whilst out walking together along the banks of the Euphrates River, Aphrodite and Eros were confronted by Typhon, a giant serpent, the deadliest monster in Greek mythology.

Theymanaged to escape with the help of Zeus, who turned them into fish, whereupon they jumped into the river and swam away to safety. (Read more further down the post).

Ancient Greece and the twelve signs of the zodiac

Greek constellations in art. Painting by Baldassare Peruzzi at the Villa Farnesina in Rome, 1510.

The mysterious night sky thrilled the ancient Greek astrologers who played a huge role in what we now know today about the shape and size of the Earth, the moon, the position of constellations and how they move, the orbital paths of planets and their correlation with the stars around them.

The ancient Greeks were able to use this information to make detailed predictions, what we know of today as horoscopes.

In ancient Greece, each one of the twelve signs of the zodiac (the word zodiac comes from a Greek word meaning, “The circle of animals” meaning all living creatures), related to one of the four elements: earth, air, fire and water and identified with twelve constellations, seen in the night sky at different times of the year.

With the exception of Libra, each zodiac sign relates to a Greek myth concerning animals or humans, telling how each group of stars arrived in the heavens.

The twelve zodiac signs and their symbols

Symbols of the 12 signs of the Zodiac

Aries – Ram. March 21 – April 19

Taurus – Bull. April 20 – May 20

Gemini -The twins. May 21 – June 20

Cancer – Crab. June 21 – July 22

Leo – Lion. July 23 – August 22

Virgo – Virgin. August 23 – September 22

Libra – The scales. September 23 – October 22

Scorpio – Scorpion. October 23 – November 21

Sagittarius – Centaur. November 22 – December 21

Capricorn – Goat. December 22 – January 19

Aquarius – Water bearer. January 20 – February 18

Pisces – Fish. February 19 – March 20

The constellation of Pisces

The Zodiac Sign of Pisces

Pisces. Sydney Hall From Urania’s Mirror (1824)

12th sign of the zodiac

February 18 – March 20

Symbol: Fish

Element: Water

Ruling Panets Jupiter and Neptune

The constellation of Pisces shows two fish with their tails bound together swimming in opposite directions.

The Zodiac sign of Pisces shows two fish with their tails bound together swimming in opposite directions.

The ancient Greek myth behindthe zodiac sign of Pisces:

Aphrodite and Eros

Eros (Cupid) and Aphrodite (Venus) – Edouard Toudouze – 1872.

The ancient myth of the Zodiac sign of Pisces begins when Typhon, a winged monster with the head of a human and snake coils below, who breathed fire, caused huge storms and mass destruction, was sent down from Mount Olympus, by his mother, Gaia, Mother Earth, to wage war upon all the Greek gods.

Typhon, a giant serpent, the deadliest monster in Greek mythology

Version One

The gods were forewarned of the arrival of Typhon, by the god Pan, who transformed himself into a seagoat, dived into the River Euphrates and escaped.

The god Pan as a seagoat

All the other gods, except Aphrodite (Venus) and her son, Eros (Cupid), who were out walking together along the banks of the River, followed suit and changed themselves into animals in order to gain speed and ran away to safety.

Seeing the plight of Aphrodite and Eros, Zeus, king of all Greek gods, turned them into fish; tied them together so they would not be parted from one another and threw them into the river, where they swam away to freedom.

Zeus and Typhon.

Version Two

Another version of this ancient Greek myth has two large fish appearing, just in the nick of time, Aphrodite and Eros jump on to their backs and escape from Typhon.

Either way, the two fish, or Aphrodite and Eros, are rewarded for their bravery by being placed in the sky by the Goddess Athena, as the constellation of Pisces.

Personality traits of Pisces

Pisces Characteristics

Pisces are one of the most empathetic, compassionate and thoughtful signs of the zodiac; they love to make people around them feel happy.

They have vivid imaginations and are extremely artistic.

They are known to be moody and their generous and trusting nature can lead them to be taken advantage of.

Positive Pisces Traits

(Source for Aquarius traits:PrepScholar)

Positive Pices Traits

Creative

Pisces are known as the most artistic of all zodiac signs, and they frequently express their creativity in everyday life. They have strong imaginations, and their reputation as dreamers can help them when they pursue hobbies such as art, music, and writing. They aren’t as bound by logic as many other signs, and their openness to new ideas allows them to explore creative avenues others may overlook or dismiss as impractical.

Empathetic

If you need a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear, there’s no one better than a Pisces. Pisces are incredibly empathetic and in tune with the emotions of others. If they see someone crying, they will immediately want to know how they can help, and they may even begin crying themselves out of sympathy.

Generous

Pisces are extremely generous and known for putting others’ needs before their own. It’s important to them that the people they care about are happy, so they’ll go out of their way to do something kind or help you with a problem you’re having, even if it sometimes comes at the expense of their own happiness.

Negative Pisces Traits

Overly Emotional

Although being so in tune with their emotions can help Pisces relate to others, their emotions can sometimes get the better of them, causing them to be overly emotional and even moody. It’s not uncommon for a Pisces to begin crying during an argument or to shut down completely. Additionally, once they get into a negative mood, it can take a long time for Pisces to get over whatever is bothering them and return to feeling happy. Like other water signs, Pisces can be known for holding onto grudges.

Impressionable

Because Pisces are both very idealistic and look for the best in others, they can often be overly trusting and easily swayed. They are also natural dreamers and can be easily convinced to pursue impractical goals or ideas, even when it’s clear to others that they should be taking a more logical path. If a more assertive person suggests something, a Pisces will often go along with it, both because they’re very optimistic and because they want to keep the peace by being agreeable.

Closed Off

Even though Pisces will spend a lot of effort taking care of people, they often have a hard time accepting help from others. This is partly because they often feel misunderstood or that people don’t take the time to understand them the way they take the time to understand others. Also, because Pisces are so trusting and generous, they can be taken advantage of, and it can be very difficult for them to get over being treated badly. If they’re hurt often enough, Pisces may begin to close themselves off as a method of self-protection. Pisces’ feelings are already strong enough, and they don’t need them toyed with by people who don’t have their best interests at heart.