Who Invented Zodiac Signs?

Astrology has been with us for much longer than any modern religion and the zodiac is fundamental to it. So, who invented the zodiac signs?

The zodiac is comprised of twelve signs. They are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Unlike our modern calendar, the signs are aligned to start in March every year and coincide with the onset of spring. Therein lies our first clue and hint to the answer to the question of who invented zodiac signs?


Most people will suggest that the Greeks invented the zodiac signs. After all, the names certainly seem to suggest as much. This answer is actually an incorrect one. The Greeks had something to do with it, but the story is a convoluted one that requires some explanation. The story starts in…Iraq.

The first record we have of astrology is from Babylonia in the seventh century BC. Babylonia was contained within the borders of modern day Iraq. The Babylonians created an astrological clock based on the movement of the sun through the night sky. Archeologists believe the clock was used primarily to mark periods of the year for planting and what have you.

Did the Babylonians create the zodiac signs? Yes and no. It is difficult to tell because the records from that time are mostly long gone. Clearly they noted the 12 periods, but what they named them is open to conjecture. The first evidence we have of the actual signs being used comes neither from the Babylonians nor the Greeks. It comes from the Egyptians.



Alexander the Great was a great military man. He proved it by conquering much of the known world in the name of Greece. This included Egypt. The Babylonian astrology had been fused into Greece and this was passed to the Egyptians who already had a strong astronomical understanding. The Egyptians are believed to have created the formal zodiac signs as an aside to creating the daily horoscope. The result was Egyptian astrology, but to the victors go the spoils so it was ultimately known as Hellenistic astrology.

Who invented zodiac signs? The Egyptians get the most credit, but the Babylonians and Greeks certainly deserve more than a bit of mention.

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