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Homer's Secret Iliad

A very interesting book has been published by Florence and Kenneth Wood that describes the warriors in the Catelogue of Ships of Book 2 of Homer's Iliad as stars in the heavens.

I have made a few files which can be used together with SkyMap, so that one can revive the Greek and Trojan warriors in the sky. The followings steps need to be done to use the files:

  1. Get a registrated version SkyMap Pro X from the web site of SkyMap
  2. Install SkyMap and use its default directories, don't start SkyMap yet.
  3. Extract this ZIP file in the subdirectory of SkyMap programm: C:\Program Files\SkyMap Pro X\Data
  4. Go with Windows Explorer to the directory: C:\Program Files\SkyMap Pro X\Data
  5. Double click the file homercon.bat and close the window (this files makes the constellation names equal to the names used in Iliad).
  6. Start SkyMap
  7. Goto: File -> Preferences -> External Data -> Data Catalogs...
  8. Add...: homergreek.sdc and homertrojan.sdc (all in direcotory: C:\Program Files\SkyMap Pro X\Data)
  9. This loads the commanders of the Greek and Trojan regiments.
  10. Click OK
  11. Stop and start SkyMap
  12. Goto: File -> Open... and double click C:\Program Files\SkyMap Pro X\Data\homer.smp
  13. Now you will see the skies as if you see the Catalogue of Ships from around Athens!
  14. If you want the normal constellation names back:
It could be that you have/want  your files in a different directory, then change C:\Program Files\SkyMap Pro X\Data into something you have/want.

Some tips how to use SkyMap with Homer:


Notes:

  • The Athenians - Crux and Camelopardus - for more information see page 260 and 261 in Homer's Secret Iliad.
  • The brothers Ascalaphus (eta Tauri) and Ialmenus (27 Tauri) are placed in the zodiac because they are the sons of the god Ares.
  • The files for SkyMap have been made in cooperation with Kenneth Wood. Some small errors in the book have been straighten out in the files.

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    Last major content related changes: Sept 30, 2000