Gaius Julius Hyginus (1st century A.D.), librarian to the Emperor Augustus, composed a work on astronomy with the aim of making Aratus' Phænomena easier to understand. The chapters that he devoted to celestial mythology and to the description of the stars in each individual constellation proved especially popular. Hyginus' work had a strong influence, thanks to a growing fascination in the Roman world with astrology, on painting. The frescoes from Pompeii on display here highlight the popularity enjoyed by the personification of the constellations.