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Chiron: Centaurs
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Originally, Chiron was a Thessalian god of healing, but in later Greek mythology he survived as one of the centaurs. Unlike the others of his race, Chiron was wise and had an extensive knowledge of the healing arts. He had been the tutor of, among others, Asclepius, Theseus, and Achilles. When he was accidentally hit by a poisonous arrow shot by Heracles, Chiron relinquished his immortality (in favor of Prometheus) in order to escape the pain by dying. After his death he became the constellation of Sagittarius. Chiron is regarded as a son of Cronus and Philyra.
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In Greek mythology Chiron was a centaur. The Centaurs were creatures who had a horse's body and legs but with a human torso and arms. Centaurs had a reputation for being wild and unbridled critters. They were especially known for their insatiable sexual appetites. They belonged to the wild Dionysian crowd. You know – the sort of unsavory folks your parents warned you about hanging out with (so they fascinated you all the more).
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His nobility is further reflected in the story of his death as Chiron sacrificed his life, allowing humanity to obtain the use of fire. Being the son of Kronos, a titan, he was immortal and so could not die. So it was left to Heracles to arrange a bargain with Zeus to exchange Chiron's immortality for the life of Prometheus who had been chained to a rock and left to die for his transgressions. Chiron had been poisoned with an arrow belonging to Heracles that had been treated with the blood of the Hydra, or, in other versions, poison that Chiron had given to the hero when he had been under the honorable centaur’s tutelage. This had taken place during the visit of Heracles to the cave of Pholus on Mount Pelion in Thessaly when he visited his friend during his fourth labour in defeating the Erymanthian Boar. While they were at supper, Heracles asked for some wine to accompany his meal.
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![[Chiron images, Denis Bergeron]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/c/h/i/chiron/i/017.gif)
On February 14, 1996, the enigmatic object Chiron reached perihelion inside the orbit of Saturn and on April 1 will reach perihelion opposition, its closest approach to Earth. Chiron is unusual because it has a detectable coma, indicating that it is a cometary body, but it is over 50,000 times the characteristic volume of a comet, a size more commensurate with a large asteroid, which it was initially assumed to be. Furthermore, its curious orbit is unstable on time scales of a million years, indicating that it hasn't been in its present orbit long. Chiron was the first of four bodies discovered so far with similar orbits and properties. These bodies have been designated Centaurs, after the race of half-man/half-horse beings from Greek mythology, in recognition of their dual comet/asteroid nature. (Chiron is named after the wisest of the Centaurs, the tutor of Achilles and Hercules.) It is believed that the Centaurs may be objects which have escaped from the Kuiper belt, a disk of objects orbiting beyond Neptune. Chiron is showing increased activity as it approaches perihelion.
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Chiron was born in very ancient times, for some have said that he was conceived at the time when Zeus was hiding in Crete, and his father Cronos, anxious to devour the little god, was looking for him throughout the earth. And Chiron, they say, was born a Centaur because Cronos begot him in a horse's shape.
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Chiron was known for his exceptional goodness and wisdom. He was the only immortal centaur. He became the tutor for a number of famous Greek heroes which included Achilles, Asclepius and Actaeon.
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