If you missed my last article on Maman Brigitte, you can find it here.
Chiron, also spelled Cheiron and Kheiron, was an essential teacher to many heroes, healers, and artists. He was a centaur but not of the centaur race. He held no kingdom nor place on Olympus despite his divine parentage, both in biological parents and adopted, but was respected and sought out by everyone.
Chiron’s parents are Chronos, the father of the first six Olympian gods, and Philyra, an oceanid who later became a Linden tree. Chronos ran away from Philyra when his wife Rhea caught them in the act. Being a child of Chronos means his siblings are Hestia, Hera, Zeus, Hades, Posiden, and Demeter. Chiron’s wife is the nymph Chariclo. Their children are the daughters Hippe, a prophetess who was changed into a mare because her visions were too much, Ocyrhoe and Endeis, who became Queen of Aegina, and a son, Carystus. Chiron is Achilles’ great-grandfather through his daughter Endeis.
Chiron’s appearance is different than that of other centaurs. Most centaurs have a human from the waist up and the lower body of a horse. Chiron had the whole body of a man, but from his butt back, he had the rest of an equine body. At least in Greece, the Romans depict him differently. In Roman myths, he is the same as other centaurs with the addition of satyr ears. He wore clothes unlike most other centaurs. He was more civilized in both pantheons than the centaur children of Ixion and Nephele; he wasn’t ruled by lust, fighting, and drink. He let his intelligence guide him.
Chiron was orphaned when he was born. As I said, Chronos took off as he got done, so he was out of his life. When his mother, Philyra, gave birth to him, she was disgusted and horrified, so she abandoned him. She soon after begged to be changed into something else because she could not endure, which was why she was changed to a Linden tree. Chiron was found by the god Apollo, who raised him and taught him music, archery, prophecy, and medicine, while Apollo’s twin, Artemis, taught him hunting and further taught him archery like her brother. Because of all the education Chiron received, his intelligence, and his kindness, he was highly respected as a teacher. Some of his notable students are Medus, Achilles, and Jason. In fact, on Jason’s odyssey, he stopped in to see Chiron because many of his comrades were either friends or students or both of Chiron.
Chiron taught medicine, and one student did so well that he eventually became the god of medicine. Apollo’s son, Asclepius, was raised and trained by Chiron after Apollo killed Asclepius’s mother. Eventually, Asclepius learned how to raise the dead, which caused Zeus to punish him. Chiron also used his medical knowledge to heal Phoenix of blindness and then made him the king of Dolopians, a kingdom in Thessaly. Phoenix went on to join Achilles in the Trojan War. Chiron also protected and raised the leader of the Argonauts, Jason, when King Aeson’s enemy, Pelias, wanted to kill him as a newborn. Thanks to his mother Alcimede’s quick thinking at playing that he was dead, they were able to smuggle him out of the city and take him to Chiron. Father and son were later reunited. It was Chiron who suggested that Jason take Orpheus with him on his quest. Orpheus was instrumental in getting away from the sirens. He played his Lyre so loudly that he drowned out their songs. (Like what I did there, eh?)
Being the child of a titan and an oceanid, Chiron was immortal and, it can even be argued, a god (I consider him a god just on his lineage.). Unfortunately, he did die, but on his terms. Heracles was attacking centaurs. Chiron was with him and was caught in the crossfire and shot with centaur-ending poison. Chiron, being immortal, would have had to live for eternity with insane pain. So much so that Chiron offered his immortality to free Prometheus from his unending punishment and torture. He was granted his request by Zeus, who put him in the sky as the constellation Centaurus after he died. It is the ninth-largest constellation in the sky and is located in the Southern Hemisphere.
Chiron seems like an all-around good guy. He raised a truckload of kids and taught everyone. What do you think? Have you played him in Smite? Any opinion on him? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
