Centaurs
A race of beings with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. Most were wild and unruly, but the wise Chiron was the exception — teacher of heroes.
The Myth of Centaurs
The Centaurs were born from Ixion's union with a cloud shaped like Hera (or, in other accounts, from Centaurus, son of Apollo). They inhabited the forests and mountains of Thessaly and Arcadia. Most Centaurs were savage, prone to drunkenness and violence.
The most infamous incident was the Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs. Invited to a Lapith wedding feast, the Centaurs drank too much wine and attempted to abduct the bride and other women. The ensuing battle became a favorite subject of Greek art, symbolizing the struggle between civilization and barbarism.
The great exception was Chiron, wisest of all Centaurs, who was the son of Kronos and the Oceanid Philyra. Chiron was renowned for his knowledge of medicine, music, archery, and prophecy. He tutored some of Greece's greatest heroes, including Achilles, Jason, and Asclepius. When accidentally wounded by one of Heracles's poisoned arrows, Chiron — being immortal — could not die but suffered endlessly. He eventually surrendered his immortality to Prometheus and was placed among the stars as the constellation Centaurus.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The constellation Centaurus, representing the wise Chiron, contains Alpha Centauri — the closest star system to our sun.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Arion
🐉 creatureSpeed, divinity
Supernaturally fast divine horse born from Poseidon and Demeter, later ridden by the hero Adrastus
Centaurs
🐉 creatureHalf-man, half-horse race
The Centaurs embodied civilisation vs savage nature.
Pegasus
🐉 creatureFlight, heroism
Winged divine horse born from the blood of Medusa who carried Bellerophon against the Chimaera
Xanthus
🐉 creatureSpeed, prophecy
Immortal horse of Achilles gifted with speech who prophesied his master's death at Troy
Pegasus
🐉 creatureWinged divine horse
The immortal winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa when Perseus beheaded her. Pegasus was tamed by Bellerophon and later became a constellation.
Balius
🐉 creatureSpeed, immortality
One of the two immortal horses of Achilles, born of the West Wind and the harpy Podarge
Pegazos
🐉 creaturesky,horses
The winged horse born from Medusa's blood when Perseus decapitated her, later tamed by Bellerophon and used to kill the Chimera, before ascending to become a constellation.
Pegasus
🐉 creatureWinged horse of inspiration
Pegasus was the immortal winged horse born from Medusa's blood whose hoof-strike created the Hippocrene spring of poetic inspiration.
Ophiotaurus
🐉 creaturehybrid creatures
A creature half bull and half serpent whose entrails, if burned, could grant power to overthrow the gods
Giants
🐉 creatureearth-born, warfare
Enormous earth-born warriors who waged the Gigantomachy against the Olympian gods and were defeated only with the help of a mortal hero.
Typhon
🐉 creatureFather of all monsters
The most fearsome monster in Greek mythology, who challenged Zeus for supremacy of the cosmos. Typhon was the father of many of mythology's most dangerous creatures.
Sileni
🐉 creaturewilderness, Dionysus
Elderly, pot-bellied woodland spirits closely related to Satyrs, often depicted drunk and riding donkeys in the retinue of Dionysus.