Monday, August 8, 2016

Chiron

Chiron


One of the best known centaurs is Chiron or Cheiron, Chiron was the most important centaur in Greek mythology known as the King of Centaur, famous for his teaching ability. He was the son of the Titan god Cronus and the nymph Philyra. Although centaur had the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse, Chiron's front legs were also human, showing that he was different and higher in class than the rest. Other differences between Chiron and the other centaur were that he was far more civilized in nature, not indulging in drinking and being overcome with lust. He had superior knowledge, and he had different lineage to the other centaurs, who were born by the union of Ixion and Nephele.

He lived on Mount Pelion with his wife, the nymph Chariclo, Three daugthers Hippe, Endeis, and Ocyrhoe; as well as a son, Carystus. He also has a lot of students included famous heroes and gods of the Greek myths such as Asclepius, Ajax, Achilles, Theseus, Jason, Peleus, and even Heracles and Phoenix.

His death was the result of events that started when Heracles visited the centaur Pholus in his cave, while trying to complete the fourth task described in the Labours of Heracles. The two individuals had dinner and Heracles asked for wine. Pholus opened a bottle of sacred wine given to him by Dionysus, but the smell attracted the other centaurs from he nearby area. The centaurs attacked in an effort to take the wine, but Heracles killed many of them using poisoned arrows. One of those arrow hit Chiron by mistake. Chiron was immortal and could not die, but the poison caused unbearable pain to him. So, he happily gave up his immortality in exchange for Prometheus' freedom, when he was asked to do so by Heracles. 

In other version however, Pholus was having dinner with Heracles. After dinner was over Heracles get thirsty and decided to get himself a wine. The wine that he took, however was a sacred wine of the centaurs. It was meant to only be drunk by centaurs and only on special occasions. Pholus saw this and could not muster up the courage to tell his strong friend that he was not allowed to drink that wine. It was not long before the scent reached the other centaurs. The infuriated centaurs grabbed weapons and charged at Pholus' house. The coward Pholus fled almost immediately and left Heracles alone. Heracles killed several of the centaurs making the rest of them afraid and tried to run. Upon shooting at the fleeing centaur, Heracles' poison arrow grazed the knee of Chiron who was not involved in the fight but came out to try to stop the fight. The immortal Chiron could not die from his wound but the poison caused unbearable pain to him forever. He cried to Zeus to give him relief and end his life. Zeus took pity on the centaur and let him die. To honor him, Zeus gave Chiron a place among the stars and become the Sagittarius in the constellation we know today.

Review/Moral

I think from this brief story of his death the moral actually coming from the part where Pholus could not muster the courage to tell Heracles about the wine, if he able to tell Heracles the death of Chiron can be avoided.




Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiron

http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Chiron/chiron.html

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosKheiron.html

https://atlanticreligion.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/chiron-achilles_detail.jpg

Centaur

Centaur

Centaur (male), and Centaurides or Cenrauresses (female) are half-human, half-horse creatures in Greek mythology. they have the upper body of  a human and lower body of a horse. they were considered to be the children of Ixion, king of the Lapiths, and Nephele, a cloud made in the image of Hera. According to a different myth, they were all born from the union of a single Centaurus with the Magnesian mares. this centaurus was either himself son of Ixion and Nephele or of Apollo and Stilbe, the daugther of the river god Peneus.

Image of Centaur

Centaurs were said to have inhabited the region of Magnesia and Mount Pelion in Thessaly, the Foloi oak forest in Elis, and the Malean Peninsula in southern Laconia.

Magnesia and Mt. Pelion Map


Elis


Laconia

Another tribe of the centaurs was said to have lived on Cyprus. According to Nonnus, they were fathered by Zeus, who in frustration after Aphrodite had eluded him, spilled his seed on the ground of that land. Unlike those of mainland Greece, the Cyprian centaurs were horned (bull-honed).

 Cyprus


image of Cyprian centaur


Because of it's unique appearance, centaur has been featured in a lot of fantasy-themed movie, game, etc. With Chiron as the most popular centaur. Here's are some other media that featured centaur:

Movie

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)



Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)


The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Game

Centarumon (Digimon)


Motaro (Mortal Kombat)



Centaur (Titan Quest)




Reference:

http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Centaur/centaur.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurs_in_popular_culture

http://www.maicar.com/GML/000Images/cim/centaurs2105.jpg

http://www.skopelos.net/geography/images/magnesia-map.jpg

https://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/elis/maps/elis.map.jpg

http://www.lbtd.gr/images/about_laconia/Laconia.gif

http://www.larryhatt.com/medcruise/LimasolCyprus_files/128.gif

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvXYjCXMhB10EZhN6_TvOQ8lB2A_WPClLFXQNe3-KhRccC49tYrf_bxJ7A8qWhCnvAATMOt5ySk64yMVKcPJUTFTiHLjYWCXMYFAqQjaElhx8OAeVq2rakoInLy_HgYmE5L8ePx-ucXc/s1600/A2Z-CyprianCentaur.jpg

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/0/0e/Philostone.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/270?cb=20101208171110

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/4/46/Hig3Tw2-jHo.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/270?cb=20151102032853

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/narnia/images/5/50/LionWitchandWardrobeposter.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20120212204245

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/digimon/images/7/78/Centarumon_b.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090205054741

http://k43.kn3.net/taringa/8/5/3/2/E/D/victor_chileno/C70.jpg

http://www.rpgvault.hu/images/Titan/Leny/tqcentaur.jpg