Except in the most southern latitudes, the Pleiades first become visible in autumn at dawn (an event known as heliacal rising), appearing higher in the sky each day until they reverse course in midwinter and disappear before the start of spring. For the ancient Greeks, these stars were the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas running from the hunter Orion while their father was occupied holding up the heavens. But they were also a signal to labourers: when the stars disappeared, it meant that the sailing season had ended and they must return to their fields.
