Centaur, << SEHN tawr, >> was a creature in Greek mythology. In art, the centaur was portrayed with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse. Centaurs lived in Thessaly in northern Greece. Most of them were known for their violent, uncivilized behavior. At the wedding feast of the king of the Lapiths, the centaurs became drunk and tried to kidnap the Lapith women. In the following battle, the Lapiths defeated the centaurs.
In several myths, the centaurs fought the Greek hero Hercules. The centaur Nessus tried to rape Deianira, Hercules’ wife. Hercules shot him with a poisoned arrow. See Hercules (The death of Hercules).
The most famous centaur was Chiron. Unlike most other centaurs, he was wise and just and famous for his skill in medicine. Chiron taught Achilles, Jason, and other Greek heroes. Chiron was immortal but was accidentally wounded by Hercules. The pain was so great that Chiron begged to become mortal. According to some accounts, the Titan Prometheus agreed to take on Chiron’s immortality so the centaur could die.
