Chiron The Centaur

Chiron is a very well known Centaur in Greek mythology. One of the reasons he became so commonly known is because he was rather different than the common centaur. He was often referred to as "The King of the Centaurs." Other centaurs from Greek myths were generally irritable and violent creatures, but Chiron was not. He was patient and wise. Chiron was the son of Cronis and Philyra as well as the husband of Chariclo. Chiron and Chariclo did have one child, a daughter named Endeis. He was also said to be a wonderful teacher of his time to Actaeon, Achilles, Hercules, and many others. He founded the School for Heroes on Mount Pelion, which is where many of his students were taught.

 Chiron is not just known for being a great teacher, he is a major part of many Greek myths. There is a popular story that relates to the development of an astrological sign. The story often differs in details, but the important parts generally stay the same. Chiron was injured by a poisonous arrow and then suffered an unbearable and permanent pain. The gods had granted him the gift of immortality long before his injury, so he could not die. Eventually he sacrificed his immortality and became a constellation in the sky. This is what we know as sagittarius today.

Here is one version of the story:

Because of his great reputation for teaching young heros and his courageous acts, many works of art have been created depicting him. Here is a Roman fresco showing Chiron instructing a student.

Chiron's legend has lived on for centuries and continues to appear in recent times. He played such a large role in Greek mythology, that he even made an appearance in a 2010 movie, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Have a look...

We'll get more into appearances of Centaurs in today's world later.

Sources:

http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/greek-mythology.php?deity=CHIRON

http://gogreece.about.com/od/mythology/a/chironcentaur.htm

http://songsdomain.tripod.com/sagittariusmyth/index.html

http://astroppm.blogspot.com/2010/11/chirons-stationdirect-being-honest-with.html