τὸ ζῴδιον, -ου a small animal or figure, a sign of the zodiac
ζῴδιον μικρόν ἐστι ζῷον· ἡ γὰρ λῆξις εἰς -(ι)διον ἀεὶ σημαίνει ὅτι πρᾶγμά τι μικρόν ἐστι καὶ ἡδύ (οἱ δὲ γραμματικοὶ τοῦτο καλοῦσιν „τὸ ὑποκοριστικόν“). ἔνδοξα δ’ ἐστὶ τὰ δώδεκα ζῴδια τὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ·
τὰ ιβ ζῴδια τάδε· κριός, ταῦρος, δίδυμοι, καρκίνος, λέων, παρθένος, ζυγός, σκορπίος, τοξότης, αἰγόκερως,ὑδροχόος, ἰχθύες.
A ζῴδιον is a „small animal“ since the ending „-(ι)διον“ shows that something is small and sweet (the grammarians call this „the diminutive“). Famous are the twelve signs of the zodiac in the (night) sky.
The 12 signs of the zodiac: ram, bull, twins, crab, lion, virgin, balance, scorpion, archer, goat, water bearer, fish.
