In Greek mythology, Chiron, also Cheiron or Kheiron, (Compare the Dactyls, "fingers", ancient masters of the art of metallurgy and magical healers.; or , , , or ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs".Homer, Iliad 11.831
Biography
Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology for his youth-nurturing nature. His personal skills tend to match those of his foster father Apollo, who taught the young centaur the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics, and prophecy, and made him rise above his beastly nature.Xenophon, Cynegeticus 1; Philostratus the Athenian, Heroicus 9, Icon. 2.2; Pindar, Pythian Odes 9.65 Chiron was known for his knowledge and skill with medicine, and thus was credited with the discovery of botany and pharmacy, the science of herbs and medicine.Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 7.56.3
Like satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild, lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, violent when intoxicated. Chiron, by contrast, was intelligent, civilized, and kind because he was not related directly to the other centaursHomer, Iliad 11.831 due to his parentage. He was the son of the Titan Cronus and the Oceanid Philyra,Scholia on Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2.1235 citing Pherecydes; Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 7.56.3; Hyginus, De astronomia 2.38.1 ff. and thus possible brother to DolopsHyginus, Fabulae Preface and Aphrus, the ancestor and eponym of the Aphroi, i.e. the native Africans.Suida, Suda Encyclopedia s.v. Aphroi Chiron lived predominantly on Mount Pelion; there he married the nymph Chariclo who bore him three daughters, Hippe (also known as Melanippe meaning the "black mare" or Euippe, "good mare"), Endeïs, and Ocyrhoe, and one son Carystus. A different source also stated that his wife was called Nais while a certain Aristaeus was called his son.Greek Lyric IV: Bacchylides, fr. 45 (from Scholiast on Apollonius of Rhodes)
Like the other centaurs, Chiron was later expelled by the Lapithae from his home; but sacrifices were offered to him there by the Magnesians until a very late period, and the family of the Cheironidae in that neighbourhood, who were distinguished for their knowledge of medicine, were regarded as his descendants.Plutarch, Symposiacs 3.1; Müller, Orchom. p. 249
Physical appearance
Although a centaur, Chiron's physical appearance often differs somewhat from other centaurs, demonstrating his status and heritage. In traditional Greek representations of Chiron his front legs are human, rather than equine. This is in contrast to the traditional representation of centaurs, which have the entire lower body of a horse. This clearly sets Chiron apart from the other centaurs, making him easily identifiable. This difference may also have highlighted Chiron's unique lineage, being the son of Cronus. Chiron is often depicted carrying a branch with dead hares he has caught hanging from it. Chiron is also often depicted wearing clothes, demonstrating he is more civilised and unlike a normal centaur (the only other occasional exceptions to this rule are the centaurs Nessus and Pholus).
The Education of Achilles wall painting, from the basilica in Herculaneum (top right), is one of the most common Roman depictions of Chiron, as he teaches Achilles the lyre. In this version we see Chiron with a fully equine lower body, in contrast to the ancient Greek representations. In addition to this reconfiguration, Chiron's appearance is further altered with his ears. Whereas previously human, Chiron's ears now match those of a satyr; folded over at the top. This rendering creates a more bestial version of Chiron, much more akin to a standard centaur. It may be possible that due to the rise of written sources, Roman artists were inspired by written descriptions of Chiron; simply using the word centaur, rather than having available traditional visual representations. This may, then, not be a deliberate reworking of the Chiron myth on the part of the Romans, but simply a lost nuance of the character in its migration from Greece to Rome. As F. Kelsey writes; "The Chiron of our painting, ... has a body like that of the other centaurs, but the prominence of the human element in his nature is no less marked; he is the wise and gentle teacher, the instructor of an art". Chiron has retained an element of clothing and gained a laurel wreath, suggesting the artist wished to portray nobility, or even divinity, more consistent with the traditional view. It has also been suggested that this fresco is a reproduction of an actual statue in the Roman forum.
Mythology Early years According to an archaic myth,A quote from the lost Titanomachia, provided as a scholium on Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica 1.554 (on-line quote); Apollodorus, 1.8-9, may have drawn upon the same source. Chiron was sired by the Titan Cronus when he had taken the form of a horseCompare the stallion-Poseidon who sired the steed Arion upon Demeter. and impregnated the nymph Philyra.Apollodorus, 1.2.4 In another version his mother was the nymph Naïs.Xenophon, On Hunting 1
Chiron's lineage was different from other centaurs, who were born from Ixion, consigned to a fiery wheel, and Nephele ("cloud"), which in the Olympian telling Zeus invented to look like Hera.
Soon after giving birth to Chiron, Philyra abandoned her child out of shame and disgust. Chiron, effectively orphaned, was later found by the god Apollo, who took him under his wing and taught him the art of music, lyre, archery, medicine and prophecy. Apollo's twin sister, Artemis, trained him in archery and hunting. Chiron's uniquely peaceful character, kindness, and intelligence are attributed to Apollo and Artemis.
Some sources speculate that Chiron was originally a Thessalian god, later subsumed into the Greek pantheon as a centaur.
A great healer, astrologer, and respected oracle, Chiron was said to be the first among centaurs and highly revered as a teacher and tutor. Among his pupils were many culture heroes: Asclepius, Aristaeus, Actaeon, Achilles, Jason, Medus.
There is also a persistent link with Peleus throughout Chiron's myth. This can be explained that the latter was the grandfather of Peleus through his daughter Endeis who married the king of Aegina, Aeacus. Chiron saved the life of Peleus when Acastus tried to kill him by taking his sword and leaving him out in the woods to be slaughtered by the centaurs. Chiron retrieved the sword for Peleus. Chiron then explained to Peleus how to capture the nymph Thetis, leading to their marriage.
Chiron is also connected with the story of the Argonauts, whom he received kindly when they came to his residence on their voyage, for many of the heroes were his friends and pupils.Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 1.554; Orphic Argonautica 375 ff.
Students
Chiron was a renowned mentor, and brought up some future heroes such as:
Achilles – The son of the Argonaut Peleus and the Nereid Thetis. Peleus had a friendly relationship with Chiron who had already saved him from Acastus and a band of murderous centaurs, and later restored the sight of Phoenix, a blind friend of Peleus. When Achilles was old enough, Peleus brought him to Chiron, who received him as a disciple, and fed him the innards of lions and boars, and bear marrow. In some accounts, Achilles was previously called "Ligyron", and Chiron gave him his new name. Later in his life, Achilles taught Patroclus what Chiron had taught him, including the medical arts. Aristaeus – Although his mother Cyrene lived in Libya, Aristaeus' father Apollo brought him on Mount Pelion to be reared by Chiron. Aristaeus would later become in his life a god of certain rustic arts such as beekeeping and cheesemaking. Moreover, he is the protagonist of a creation myth regarding the Etesian winds. Actaeon – The son of Autonoë and Aristeus (an aforementioned student of Chiron). He became an excellent hunter thanks to the centaur's lessons. In his adulthood as he was hunting in the woods, he saw the virgin goddess Artemis bathing. She punished Actaeon for seeing her naked body by turning him into a stag. His hunting dogs did not recognize him and devoured him. Ignorant of what they had done, the hunting dogs came to the cave of Chiron seeking their master and the Centaur fashioned an image of Actaeon in order to soothe their grief. Asclepius – The Greek God of Doctors. Artemis killed Asclepius' mother Coronis after her lover Apollo discovered she was cheating on him. But Coronis had conceived a son to him and before her body had been consumed by the funerary pyre he saved the child (Asclepius) and brought him to Chiron, who reared him and taught him the art of healing. When Chiron's daughter Ocyrhoe saw him, she prophesied his destiny and death. Because of this, Zeus turned her into a mare. In fact, Asclepius would later die because of his hubris: he had become such a skilled medic he could resurrect the dead and Zeus would end up killing him for this after getting a complaint from Hades. Though Zeus would later revive him as a God to avoid any feuds with Apollo. Jason – The leader of the Argonauts was, in some versions, raised by Chiron. Jason's father Aeson had been locked up by his brother Pelias, yet he managed to conceive a son with a woman named Alcimede. When Alcimede delivered Jason, she pretended he was a stillborn to escape Pelias' notice and then gave him to Chiron. Jason's son Medus will also become one of the centaur's students. Medus – Alternatively called Medeus or Polyxenus, his mother was Medea, but accounts differ about his father, who may be either Jason, an Asian king, or Aegeus of Athens. Just like his father, he was reared by Chiron. Later in his life, he would become the first king of the Medes. Melanion – An Arcadian hunter, son of Amphidamas, who took part in the Calydonian boar hunt, and through his devotion won the heart of Atalanta.Xenophon, On Hunting 1.2–7 Patroclus is also numbered amongst the students by Statius (a Roman poet of the 1st century AD) in his unfinished work, the Achilleid, although Homer clearly contradicts him.
According to Ptolemy Hephaestion (probably the same as Ptolemaeus Chennus), a writer and playwright whose works are now lost, Chiron was also the mentor of the god Dionysus (who became the centaur's eromenos, and learned from him chants and dances) and of a youth named Cocytus; the latter supposedly cured Adonis when he was wounded by a wild boar using the medical techniques learned from his teacher. It is worthy of note that Ptolemy's account only survived thanks to Photios I's summary of his works. Photios I, an ecumenical patriarch of the 9th century AD, harshly criticized Ptolemy, denouncing him for seemingly distorting, inventing and misinterpreting myths. Considering little is known about Ptolemy and his works are not preserved, it is unknown whether he was simply reporting alternative versions of myths or making them up.
Death