Chiron was a famous centaur in Greek mythology. In art, a centaur is often portrayed with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse. Chiron was known as a teacher of Greek heroes and as a friend to the gods.
Chiron’s parents were the Titan Kronos and the sea nymph Philyra. Chiron was thus half-brother to Zeus and the other Olympians, who were also descendants of Kronos. Centaurs lived in Thessaly in northern Greece. Most of them were known for their violent, uncivilized behavior. Chiron, on the other hand, was wise and just.
Chiron was famous for his skill in medicine. The twin gods Apollo and Artemis educated Chiron in many subjects. Apollo was a god of healing and prophecy. Chiron in turn taught the god of healing, Asclepius. He also taught Greek heroes, including Achilles and Jason.
Chiron was immortal. He was accidentally wounded by the hero Hercules (known in Greek as Heracles) in a battle with unruly centaurs. Chiron was hit with an arrow dipped in the poisoned blood of the Hydra, the many-headed serpent of Greek mythology. 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. When he died, Chiron became the constellation Sagittarius, also known as Centaurus.
