AURIGA

Auriga is depicted by a charioteer who holds a goat in his left arm and some suckling kids in his lap. The chariot is not shown but is represented by the reins held in his right hand.This strange mythological mix is very ancient and believed to be of Mesopotamian origin. Latin authors claim it represents the lame son of Vulcan and Minerva who invented the chariot as a means of transportation. The goat in his arms was described by Aratus as "the holy Goat which, as legend tells, gave the breast to Zeus". This is Amalthea, (also linked to the myth of Capricorn), which not only nurtured Zeus but protected him through the aegis (literally 'goat-skin' that constituted his cloak and shield. Manilius treats the figures as separate constellations, describing the Charioteer as a skilled, enthusiastic, and reckless driver, racing across the heavens with his spirited team of horses.