What is a centaur? Centaurs are mythical creatures; "a race of creatures with the
body and legs of a horse and the torso, head, and arms of a man" (Grant 83). In one
version of a myth, they are believed to have originated from Ixion and a cloud. Centaurs
are most commonly mentioned in myths describing the battle between their race and the
Lapiths. Also, there are several tales of their confrontations with Heracles (more
commonly known by his Roman name, Hercules).
First of all, Ixion was king over the Lapiths in Thessaly and was considered, in
Greek myth, as "the first man to stain his hands with a kinsman's blood: the Greek Cain"
(Grant 199). This occurred when Ixion married Dia, a daughter of Deioneus. Ixion owed
his father-in-law a price for his bride and told Deioneus to come to the capital of Thessaly,
Larissa, to receive it. But, Ixion had laid a trap. A camouflaged pit awaited Deioneus,
filled with burning, red-hot coals. After Ixion had cornered Deioneus, Deioneus slipped
into the pit and fell to a horrifying death. Because this crime was new to the human race,
no mortal had the capability to purify him, and Ixion wandered the land as an exile.
Eventually, Zeus took pity on Ixion, and not only agreed to perform the purification ritual,
but also invited Ixion to sit at the table of the gods on Mount Olympus.
Once there, "Ixion tried to seduce Zeus' consort, Hera. However, Hera
complained to Zeus, and he, to test Ixion, constructed a cloud which resembled her in
every detail. With this cloud, Ixion then committed adultery" (Grant 200). Zeus
discovered Ixion's actions and sentenced him to eternity in Tartarus because he could not
believe how anyone could be so inconsiderate to his host. In Tartarus, Ixion was bound to
a winged, and sometimes flaming, wheel that constantly revolved in all directions. "Ixion
became one of the more famous sinners on display in Tartarus, and most writers mention
him when describing" this Greek version of Hell (Encyclopedia Mythica).
The cloud, also known as Nephele, bore a son, Centaurus. Centaurus was very
monstrous and was unloved by the Graces while men and gods gave him no honor. In
essence, he was an outcast. He mated with the wild mares on Mt. Pilon which brought
forth the race of centaurs.
Secondly, centaurs are most commonly mentioned in myths about the battle
between their race and the Lapiths, who were a neighboring Thessalian nation. In some
myths, the Lapiths are also believed to be descendants of Ixion. The Lapiths and the
centaurs had been arguing over who was the true heir to the land that Pirithous, the king
of the Lapiths, was ruling over. Pirithous was getting married, and since he believed that
the debate over the land had already been settled, he decided to go ahead and invite the
centaurs to his wedding. At the wedding banquet, the centaurs became enraged and
attempted to kidnap the women guests. One of the centaurs even tried to carry off the
bride. Following their actions, a battle broke In which many centaurs were killed. The
centaurs were driven from Thessaly, all but one, Chiron.
Chiron was a kind and wise centaur who is believed to be the son of Cronos, the
King of the Titans, and Philyra, a Titaness. "Cronos disguised himself as a horse in order
to seduce Philyra without his wife Rhea discovering the affair. Chiron, the only immortal
centaur...was among the gentlest of Greek heroes, including Achilles, Actaeon, Asclepius,
Hercules, Jason, Aeneas, and Peleus" (Chiron). Chiron also had a large knowledge of
medicines and healing.
Finally, the centaurs have had several confrontations with Hercules. While he was
guest of the centaur Pholus, Hercules was served roast meat but no wine. He was puzzled
by this, for an unopened jar of wine sat there in the cave. Hercules was upset with his
host’s apparent meanness, but Pholus protested, declaring that the wine god, Dionysus,
had given it to the group of centaurs to whom it was now common property. According
to one myth, Dionysus had forbidden the centaurs to open the jar until Hercules arrived,
yet Pholus still wasn’t sure he should open it. Hercules insisted, proclaiming that the
condition set by Dionysus had been fulfilled. When the jar was opened, the centaurs were
drawn to it. A fight resulted and Hercules killed any centaur opposing him with arrows
poisoned with the venom of a Hydra. Both Chiron and Pholus were accidentally killed in
this battle. Pholus was amazed that such a small weapon could kill such a large creature,
and when inspecting an arrow after the battle, accidentally dropped it on his foot. The
Hydra’s poisonous venom killed him quickly. Chiron was scratched by an arrow that had
passed through another centaur. Chiron did not die, because he was immortal, yet he was
still in a great amount of pain. Chiron begged for mercy, and the Titan, Prometheus
agreed to take on his immortality, so he could die. After his death, Chiron supposedly
became the constellation of Sagittarius.
Later on, a centaur by the name of Nessus grew vengeful towards Hercules for
harming his race; the race of centaurs. Nessus attempted to rape Deianira, Hercules' wife,
but Hercules caught him and shot him with a poisoned arrow. While he was dying,
Nessus gave Deianira some of his blood and told her that if Hercules ever became
unfaithful, she could bring him back to her by smearing the blood on a tunic and giving the
garment to Hercules to wear. A few years later, Deianira became unsure of Hercules'
faithfulness and did as Nessus had told her. When Hercules put on the tunic, the venom
that had been in Nessus' blood reacted in some way, which ignited the tunic, and Hercules
met his death by the hands of a centaur, trapped in the burning garment.
In conclusion, centaurs are mythical creatures who are half horse and half man. In
one myth, they are believed to be the offspring of Ixion and Nephele, a cloud, who Ixion
had been led to believe was Hera. The myths they are most commonly heard of in are the
ones telling of the battle between them and the Lapiths, after which Chiron was the only
centaur allowed to stay in Thessaly. In fact, the scene of this battle is portrayed in the
Parthenon metopes. Also, the centaurs have confronted Hercules many times, and
Hercules met his death at the hands of Nessus' blood. With all the myths that mention the
centaurs, they will probably forever be one of the more common creatures known in
mythology.
