Philyra
nymphAn Oceanid nymph who bore the centaur Chiron after Kronos mated with her in the form of a horse.
The Myth
Philyra was an Oceanid, a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, who lived on an island in the Black Sea. Kronos desired her but was interrupted by his wife Rhea. To disguise himself, Kronos transformed into a stallion — and in that form, coupled with Philyra. The result was Chiron, born as a centaur: human from the waist up, horse below.
Philyra was horrified by her child's appearance. In some versions she begged the gods to transform her into anything else, and they turned her into a linden tree (philyra is the Greek word for linden). In other tellings, she simply abandoned Chiron on Mount Pelion and vanished from the story.
But the child she rejected became the noblest figure in Greek mythology's supporting cast. Chiron grew to be wise, gentle, and learned in medicine, music, and prophecy. He tutored Achilles, Jason, Asclepius, and a dozen other heroes. Everything good that came from Chiron — and it was considerable — originated in this unhappy union on a Black Sea island between a shape-shifting Titan and an unwilling nymph.
Symbols
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Chiron
creatureChiron tutored Achilles, Asclepius, Jason — the great teacher.
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Achilles (Wrath)
heroThe swift-footed son of Peleus and Thetis whose wrath drives the Iliad and whose choice between...
Asclepius
heroThe legendary physician who could cure any illness and even raise the dead. Son of Apollo, his...
Asclepius (God)
godAsclepius began as a mortal hero trained by Chiron who became so skilled at medicine that he could...
Asclepius (Healer God)
godThe divine physician whose healing art grew so powerful that he could resurrect the dead — forcing...
Jason
heroThe hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis in quest of the Golden Fleece. Jason's...
Jason (Golden Fleece)
heroThe hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, aided by...
Kronos
titanKing of the Titans who ruled during the mythological Golden Age. Kronos overthrew his father...
Kronos (Golden Age King)
titanThe king of the Titans who ruled during the Golden Age and devoured his children to prevent...
Mount Olympus (Sacred)
placeThe highest mountain in Greece and mythological home of the twelve Olympian gods, whose...
Mount Parnassus
placeMount Parnassus was the mountain above Delphi sacred to Apollo and the Muses — the symbolic home of...