William Tyler Olcott

“ As they were deeply interested in the care of herds and flocks we naturally find that certain star groups represented to them pastoral scenes. These stellar pictures of the ancients are interesting as showing the changes wrought by the advance of progress and civilisation, and there must indeed have been a fascination in painting pictures on the widespread canvas of the night with a brush steeped in the bright-hued pigments of imagination.
Smyth alluded to the constellation Cepheus as "the Dog," and a ring of stars in this group was known to the Arabs as "a Pot." ”

“ Surrounding the stars δ, ε, ζ, and λ Cephei, which mark the head of the King, is a vacant gap in the Milky Way, one of the so-called "Coal Sacks," where no stars have been observed even in our most powerful telescopes.
Cepheus furnishes a good example of the fact that it is not always among the brightest constellations that the most interesting objects are found.
Its three brightest stars, α, β, and γ Cephei, gain a certain interest when it is known that by reason of the precession of the equinoxes these stars will one after the other take the place of the Pole Star of ages to come. ”

“ The watchful Dragon (Draco) Hydra, with the Cup (Crater) of Medea, and a raven (Corvus) upon its carcass, as an emblem of death; also Chiron (Sagittarius) , the master of Jason, with his 'Altar' and sacrifice. Hercules, the Argonaut, with his club, his dart (Sagitta) , and vulture, with the Dragon, Crab (Cancer) , and Lion (Leo) which he slew; and Orpheus, one of the company, with his harp (Lyra) . Again we have Orion, the son of Neptune, or as some say the grandson of Minos, with his dogs (Canis Major and Minor) , and the Hare (Lepus) , River (Eridanus) , and Scorpion. ”