Dr Catherine Tyerman DClinPsy
Laelaps who never failed to catch what she hunted and Teumissian who never got caught
A Greek legend|
Teumessian fox who was terrorizing the people of Thebes. The fox also had a special ability: it was said that this fox could never be caught.
The gods saw what was happening to the people of Thebes and sent Laelaps to catch the fox. Laelaps chased after the fox trying to track it down, but the fox outsmarted Laelaps every move. Laelaps chased the fox through the woods always hot on the fox’s trail. Laelaps chased the fox, never quite close enough catch the foxes , and the fox was always just ahead of the dog.
A dog that always catches its prey and a fox that can never be caught.
The god Zeus saw the paradox and so he decided to turn the dog and fox into stone. He threw them into the heavens. The rocks hurtled through the sky and they became the constellations Canis major and Canis minor. Now Laelaps and the Teumessian fox are chasing each other in the sky, Laelaps always so close, the fox just out of reach, each running forever until the end of time.