Yesterday, we cracked up something different. I was supposed to share another interesting story about ancient Egypt but I opted to post something different. The story was about the Sirens, how they live and how they got such reputations.

I am quite fascinated with Greek mythology upon reading the story and so I am sharing again something from the Greek mythology.

Are you all ready?

The Centaurs were part-human, part-horse creatures that according to the ancient Greeks lived by the mountains of Thessaly in east-central Greece. Their herds also occupied forested areas of southern Laconia and Elis, both in the Peloponnesus.

At first depicted as humans with the hind side and rear legs of a horse, the Centaur - considered the embodiment of disorder, cruelty, sacrilege, vengefulness, disloyalty and brutal lust - , were later portrayed as a creature with a human upper body emanating from where the neck of a horse should be. That is the image that we still apply today.

Birth of the Centaurs

A version of the origin of the Centaurs has them as the off-spring of Ixion, King of the Lapiths, and Nephele, a cloud nymph made in the likeness of Hera.

Another account states that they are the sons of one Centaur, who bred with the Magnesia mares. Centaurus is said to be the son of Ilion and Nehalem.

In other stories, Centaurus is the son of the Apollo, the Sun god, and Stilbe, a nymph, and he has a twin brother, Lapithus, forebear of the Lapiths.

A more logical explanation is that the myth originated when the Greeks encountered their first horsemen, probably nomads from Central Asia, appearing to the observers a half man, half horse. Furthermore, Greek historians of the time attributed the invention of horseback riding to the Lapith people.

Centaur’s Behavior

The Centaur’s main forms of entertainment were getting drunk, fighting, raping human females, destroying crops and, generally, making a nuisance of themselves. Zeus, the king of the gods, used them as something of shock troops against those who trespassed against him.

Though not necessarily educated or smart, the Centaurs were astute and difficult to deal with.

While not referred to in early writing, the female centaurs, known as Centaurides or Kentaurides, became rather well known for their beauty from about the 4th Century BC. The contrast between their human skin and the glistening coat of the mare half, was particularly appealing.

Chiron: A Different Centaur

Unique among the Centaurs was Chiron.

As opposed to the others, Chiron was peaceful, gentle, intelligent, and educated. He was a celebrated astrologer, eminent oracle and a skilful healer. The difference could be attributed to Chiron’s ancestors. Instead of having Ixion and Nephele as parents, his father was Cronus (Kronos) and his mother the nymph Philyra.

He lived on Mount Pelion, also in Thessaly, with his wife, the nymph Chariclo, three daughters and one son. It was also on Mount Pelion that he tutored many of the best known heroes: Achilles, Heracles, Theseus, Ajax, Jason, and Patroclus among others

Chiron was good unto death, for he allowed Heracles to negotiate with Zeus, the release of Prometheus, who was suffering punishment for giving fire to mankind, in exchange for his immortal life.

Heracles and the Centaurs

When Heracles encountered the Centaurs he was onto his fourth Labour, the capture of the Erymanthian Boar. He was entertained by Pholus, another civilized Centaur next to Chiron. The Centaurs were attracted by the smell of wine and another one of the ancient battles involving Centaurs broke out. Heracles used his arrows which were dipped in the blood of the mythological monster, Hydra of Lerna (or Lernea Hydra).

The blood was a fatal venom and many Centaurs died. Unfortunately, one of the arrows passed through a victim and into the body of Chiron killing him.

Nessus, the leader of these violent mythological creatures, survived and later on took his revenge on Heracles. Having being shot by Heracles for trying to rape Deianeira his wife, Nessus convinced her to use his blood as a love charm. Deianeira dipped Heracles robe in it and Heracles died a terrible death for the Centaur's blood was poisoned by Hydra's venom.

Centaurs Today

The myth of the half-man, half-horse Centaurs continues to fascinate us today. They appear in many fantasy and science-fiction works such as C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series; in J.K Rowling Harry Potter books; and P.C Cast’s Partholon series.

There you have it guys, the myth of the Centaurs. Be sure to follow @wdoutjah for more interesting and exciting stories.

Til then!


Image Credits
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Reference(s)
_{Theoi - Centaurs (Kentauroi)
Wikipedia - Chiron
Greek Mythology - Heracles}

If you find Egyptian history fascinating as much as I do, you may check some of my posts for further reading.

• Tutankhamun - The Boy King
• Valley of the Kings - Graveyard of the Pharaohs
• The Great Sphinx of Giza
• The Tyrant and The Great Pyramid Builder - Khufu
• The Pyramids of Egypt
• The First Female Pharaoh of Egypt - Hatshepsut