Discover with us the legends of the Centaurs of Greek Mythology. Discover their creation and most popular myths in history.
Centaurs Of Greek Mythology
Centaurs are half-human and half-horse creatures in Greek mythology. They have the body of a horse and the torso, head and arms of a man. They were considered to be the children of Ixion, king of the Lapiths, and Nephele, a cloud made in the image of Hera . However, according to a different myth, they were all born from the union of a single Centaur with the Magnesian mares.
One of the best known Centaurs is Chiron or Cheiron, a wise Centaur. Although most Centaurs were described as lustful and savage, Chiron was a notable exception; modest and civilized, he was known for his medicinal skills and teaching abilities.
He lived on Mount Pelion in Thessaly and was the tutor of several mythical Greek characters such as Achilles and Aesculapius. He was immortal; however, Heracles accidentally wounded him with an arrow treated with the blood of the monster Hydra, causing him excruciating pain. Then, when Heracles asks his father to release him. Prometheus and Zeus demanded that someone be sacrificed, Chiron volunteered and died, both to free Prometheus and himself from pain.
Centaurs in Greek Mythology
The centaurs of Greek mythology were a particular tribe that were unlike anything else known in history. These creatures were a common subject in the arts, and were generally depicted with the head, torso and arms of a man, with the rest of their body belonging to the equine species.
Centaurs were so popular because they were totally unpredictable and wild. There were the good guys and the bad guys; some of them were often drunk and violent, eating raw meat and drinking too much wine. They were usually followers of the god Dionysus, who always wanted drunken and festive followers and servants. Since they were savages, they lived far from people, creating their own colonies.
Origins of the centaurs
In Greek mythology, the centaurs had a father known by the name of Ixion, who was one of the sons of Ares. Ixion killed his wife’s father, but Zeus took pity on him and forgave his actions after some time. However, to do so, Zeus tried to test him. He created a replica of Hera and sent it to Ixion. Ixion was deceived and tried to seduce the woman. The result of their mating was the monstrous children they called centaurs.
There is another version of the myth about the origins of the centaurs. According to this version, their father was Centaurus, who was not well known among men and gods. It was believed that he was the son of the god Apollo.
Centaur in Greek mythology. There were many Greek writers and historians who mentioned centaurs in their myths. The best known was Pindar, who described this tribe in detail, giving us information about the origins of the Centaurs. Other authors and poets such as Homer referred to similar monsters and creatures, but never used the term Centaur to name them.
The bad reputation of centaurs in Greek myths
Centaurs had a very bad reputation in Greek myths and mythology. They were mostly famous because they were extremely violent towards women and other people. There are numerous myths and stories about centaurs raping women in Greek myths. One of these stories concerns the centaur Nessus who tried to rape the wife of Herakles, Deianeira. However, this woman not only managed to defend herself, but also killed the centaur.
In his last moments, Nessus tried to apologize and gave the women a love drug that she used to seduce her husband. However, Nessus had played with her, as the love drug was a poison and Heracles suffered so much that he decided to throw himself into the flames and die, rather than suffer this agony.
The good centaurs, Cheiron and Pholos
It would be a mistake to think that all centaurs are bad. There were two different, good centaurs who were actually quite famous in Greek mythology and history. The first was Cheiron, a centaur, a scholar who sought harmony in nature, so he learned many things about medicine, art, philosophy and liberal arts. He also learned about disciplines and sciences that were usually irrelevant to centaurs.
Cheiron was mostly known as the tutor of the god Apollo, and as an advisor to many people and deities such as Peleus, whom he advised to marry the goddess Thetis. Although the goddess resisted the wedding at first, she decided to marry Peleus and gave birth to the hero Achilles.
The second known good centaur was Pholos, who was a friend of Heracles. Pholos allowed Heracles to stay with him and gave him a feast. Heracles asked for wine and Pholos opened the jar with the best wine to give him, but the other centaurs smelled it and attacked the cave where the two men were celebrating. The battle was fierce and many centaurs and men were wounded.
One of them was Cheiron, who was so badly wounded that he wished to die, although he was immortal. Prometheus heard Cheiron’s cries and offered to die and give him his immortality. In fact, the centaur died leaving Prometheus with eternal life.
War with King Pirithous
The Centaurs went to war when a part of Thessaly was inherited by the king of the Lapps from his father Ixion. Because they were grandsons of Ixion, the Centaurs believed they were also entitled to the land and fighting broke out before peace was established.
King Pirithous was to be married and, as a token, invited the Centaurs to the wedding feast. They then lived up to their reputation by getting drunk, raping the guests and attempting to kidnap the bride.
This resulted in a battle in which they were all expelled from Thessaly, with the exception of Chiron. He was the only immortal of the Centaurs and was considered to have great grace and wisdom. He was the teacher of Jason and Achilles, as well as Asclepius and Actaeon.
Centaurs in the modern arts
In modern times, centaurs have made a comeback in the arts and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. There are some magical and science fiction stories such as those in Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as Piers Anthony’s Xanth series that have major characters who are actually centaurs.
Science fiction has also used the characters; Titan, Wizard, Demon series by John Varley, Wellworld series by Jack Chalker, Knight Moves by Walter Jon William and The Journal Entries series by Elf Sternberg feature some very important centaurs as protagonists.
Famous myths
The creation of the centaurs, as mentioned above, is one of the most popular stories about them. It has been related by several Greek and Roman scholars, among them Pindar and Cicero.
The centaurs’ strange lineage eventually led to their involvement in another popular story: the battle of the Lapps. Despite their wild habits, they were invited to attend the wedding of their half-brother, Pirithous, who was another son of Ixion and the new king of Lapiths.
At this wedding, the rustic creatures tasted a wine much richer than the poor drinks they prepared in their caves. They quickly became intoxicated, and decided to take some of the elegant women of Lapiths (who were, again, much finer than anything they had seen before) back to their caves. They even tried to kidnap Pirithous’ bride! Naturally, a fight broke out.
The strident centaurs used everything they could find as weapons, from heavy rocks to displays of decorative horns. However, the Lapp men had fine armor and weapons made of silver and gold. They eventually won the battle, killing many of the centaurs.
Chiron
Another important myth concerns Chiron who, not being related to Ixion, did not appear in the battle of the Lapps. Chiron was a noble and immortal creature. However, after training dozens of heroes, he met a painful death. One of his beloved pupils, Heracles, had brought a new weapon for Chiron to examine: a spear poisoned by the blood of Medusa.
The spear accidentally struck Chiron in the helmet, and he was immediately stricken with pain from the poison. As an immortal, he could not die, although he was in horrible pain, so he had to come up with a creative way out of the world. He offered his life to Zeus, but in return, he asked the king of the gods to allow Herakles to free Prometheus. This sacrifice was accepted, and Chiron passed into the stars as a constellation.
Modern Use
Centaurs have stood the test of time, proving to be one of Greece’s most inspiring inventions. They continue to haunt the forests of today’s fantasy novels.
In JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, a tribe of centaurs lived in the Forbidden Forest, just outside the magical school of Hogwarts. Rowling’s creatures were highly territorial and protective of their home. They carried heavy spears, which they used to chase away anyone who entered their forest. They were also gifted oracles, able to read the future in the stars.
In CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, the Centaurs appeared as wise prophets and brilliant military strategists. With a glance at the stars, they could predict the outcome of a battle and make necessary adjustments. Some of them were also trained in the art of healing.
In the Disney movie Fantasia Centaurs can be seen helping the god Dionysus make (and drink) wine by the barrel.
why is the centaur Chiron among the stars?
Once he was accidentally wounded by Heracles, he lived in great constant pain and, as an immortal, could not die a natural death. The only release from an eternity of pain was to exchange his immortality for the mortality of Prometheus. For this Zeus placed him in the stars becoming part of the constellation Sagittarius.
Constellation of Sagittarius
In Greek mythology, Sagittarius is usually identified as a centaur: half human, half horse. However, perhaps due to the Greeks’ adoption of the Sumerian constellation, there is some confusion surrounding the identity of the archer. Some identify Sagittarius as the centaur Chiron, the son of Philira and Cronus, who is said to have turned into a horse to escape his jealous wife, Rhea, and tutor of Jason.
Since there are two centaurs in the sky, some identify Chiron with the other constellation, known as Centaurus O, as an alternative tradition, that Chiron devised the constellations Sagittarius and Centaurus to help guide the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece.
A competing mythological tradition, such as that of Eratosthenes, identified the Archer not as a centaur, but as the satyr Crotus, son of Pan, to whom the Greeks attribute the invention of archery. According to the myth, Crotus often went hunting on horseback and lived among the Muses, who asked him to place him in heaven, where he was seen demonstrating archery.
The arrow of this constellation points to the star Antares, the “heart of the scorpion,” and Sagittarius is ready to strike if Scorpius attacks nearby Hercules, or to avenge Scorpius’ death of Orion.
Redemption from savagery
Some scholars think that the Centaur represents a conflict in human nature. Being half human and half animal, the Centaurs were unable to realize their humanity, causing their nature to become increasingly bestial and savage and, in effect, to be caught between two worlds. The fact that even a few like Chiron manage to overcome this condition suggests that they were ultimately able to redeem themselves from savagery.
