Auriga (constellation) horizon. A large constellation, with an area of 657 square degrees, it is half the size of the largest constellation, Hydra. Its brightest star, Capella, is an unusual multiple star system among the brightest stars in the night sky. Beta Aurigae is an interesting variable star in the constellation; Epsilon Aurigae, a nearby eclipsing binary with an unusually long period, has been studied intensively. Because of its position near the winter Milky Way, Auriga has many bright open clusters in its borders, including M36, M37, and M38, popular targets for amateur astronomers. In addition, it has one prominent nebula, the
Porphyrius the Charioteer 50s or 60s. Born in Libya in 480 AD, the son of a certain Calchas, Porphyrius was a very skilled and clever charioteer. He was described as a handsome youth, so handsome that even a goddess might fall in love with him. He had seven monuments built throughout his lifetime to honor him as a charioteer and a warrior. The statues/monuments contain several inscriptions which contain a myriad of information on Porphyrius; ranging from his physical appearance to the honours received him by the emperor to his success as a warrior. A great deal of the story of Porphyrius, and