While Kronos was coupling with Philyra his wife Rhea appeared so to escape notice he transformed himself into a horse, and in this way sired a half-equine son. Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents.
Chiron, by contrast, was intelligent, civilized and kind, but he was not related directly to the other centaurs. He was known for his knowledge and skill with medicine. A great healer, astrologer, and respected oracle, Chiron was said to be the first among centaurs and highly revered as a teacher and tutor. Hi there! I have always had a soft spot for Prometheus, the creator of humans who defied Zeus to bring them fire and other comforts.
As punishment, Zeus chained him to the Caucasus mountains and sent eagles every day to rip out his liver, which, being immortal, grew back every night. It feels beautifully fitting to me that Chiron would choose to give up his life for him—the only other god who shows himself a consistent and selfless friend to mortals. As far as I know and if you have other information, please share!
The next closest example I can think of is Pollux giving up half of his immortality to his human brother Castor, so that they can live six months on earth together, and six months in the underworld. But more on them down the line! A few last thoughts on Chiron. He was a popular figure in ancient literature, and also pops up in a number of modern works. Want more? Myth of the Week: Chiron. Monday, October 31 st , Thank you to all of you who got in touch with favorite characters—it was such a treat to be on the receiving end of so much mythological enthusiasm!
His skill with a bow and arrow is unsurpassable, although his student Achilles became sporting rivals. As an oracle, he has knowledge of hidden secrets and future events, which he demonstrated when he told Peleus how to make the ravishingly beautiful sea nymph, Thetis, his wife.
He knows all the herbs that grow in the pristine woodlands of his home on Mount Pelion, and he can use them to great effect. He has healed many deep wounds for his students, but his most famous accomplishment was restoring sight to Phoenix, a hero who had gone blind.
His father was Cronus, one of the original titans who ruled before the gods, and his mother was Philyra, a beautiful ocean nymph. Disgraced, the Titan turned himself into a stallion and galloped away. The gods turned her into a Linden tree. Poor Chiron was effectively orphaned, but luck quickly turned in his favor. The radiant god Apollo found the baby and decided to take him in as his own son. He taught the orphan how to repress his animal urges and live nobly, in a way that would highlight his humanity, even his divinity.
Apollo also taught the young centaur about music and medicine. She taught him about archery and hunting. After he grew up, the orphan made his foster parents proud by becoming a revered teacher.
He was always eager to return the kindness that Apollo and Artemis had shown him, and he took on many young students of his own, including Achilles, Ajax, Heracles, Jason, Peleus, Perseus , and Theseus.
In addition to his students, the centaur had biological children of his own. He was married to a nymph named Chariclo, and with her he had three daughters, Melanippe, Endeis, and Ocyrhoe, and one son, Carystus. Chiron appears in the epic poems of ancient Greek writers, including Ovid, Pindar, Homer, and Hesiod, which date all the way back to the 7th or 8th century AD. Still, some scholars believe that this unusual centaur might have had a pre-Greek origin, which could explain some of the peculiarities that separate him from traditional Greek centaurs.
There are stories from each chapter of his life, from his unlikely conception and birth to his heartrending death. Their story began when Peleus and his friend, Acastus, went hunting in the wilderness. The two friends laid down in the brush to take a nap, but when Peleus awoke, both Acastus and his sword were missing.
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