Chiron was a centaur unlike the rest; he was civilized, deep-thinking and wise. "Unlike the other centaurs, Chiron embodies all that culture and civilization have to offer" (#1 Harris & Platzner, p. 272). Rejected by his mother, Chiron was adopted by Apollo, the god of healing. Chiron was instructed by Apollo and was renowned for his skill in hunting, medicine, music, and the art of prophecy. The most distinguished heroes of Grecian story were his pupils. (#2 Bulfinch, The Centaurs). His students were heroes such as; Asclepius, Achilles, Actaeon, Jason, and Heracles to name a few. Here are some short biographies of just a couple of his pupils.

Asclepius

Asclepius was the son of Apollo and Coronis. When Asclepius was still in the womb Apollo killed Coronis for her unfaithfulness and placed her on a funeral pyre. As her body started to burn, Apollo felt sorrow for his unborn son and snatched the child Asclepius from his mother's corpse, saving him from death. (#3 Leadbetter). Apollo then brought Asclepius to the wise centaur Chiron, who brought him up, teaching him the arts of healing and hunting. Asclepius also acquired the knowledge of surgery, the use of drugs, love potions, and incantations. (#3 Leadbetter). "Created by the union of divinity and fallible humanity and tutored by a creature half-human, half-horse, the child Asclepius becomes one of myth's most potent symbols of human endeavor" (#1 Harris & Platzner, p.211).

Asclepius, having become a surgeon, and having carried his art to a great pitch, not only prevented some from dying, but even raised up the dead. That is what brought about his death. By raising the dead Asclepius had angered the king of the gods, Zeus. Zeus feared that men might acquire the healing art from Asclepius and come to the rescue of each other. With one swift action, the great Zeus sent down a thunderbolt killing Asclepius. "Realizing the good Asclepius had brought to man, the great Zeus made him into a god, placing him among the stars, transforming him into the constellation Ophiuchus (the serpent-bearer)." (#3 Leadbetter).

Achilles

The son of Peleus and Thetis, and the greatest Greek warrior during the Trojan War. While he was an infant, his mother dipped him in the river Styx to make his body invulnerable, but the heel by which she held him did not get wet. Everything the sacred waters touched became invulnerable, but the heel remained dry and therefore unprotected. (#5 Hunter). He was raised as a skilled warrior with the wise Chiron as his tutor. When an oracle prophesized that Achilles would die young at Troy, his protective mother dressed him as a girl and hid him among the daughters of king Lycomedes in Skyros as "Pyrrha". The same oracle also proclaimed that Troy could not be captured without his help, so Phoenix, Nestor, and Odysseus traveled to the court of Skyros to find him. Disguised as a merchant, Odysseus brought a chest of various treasures into the main hall and offered one object to each of Lycomedes' daughters. While the others chose jewelry and other feminine objects, Achilles selected weapons, thus revealing his identity. During the time that he spent at Skyros, Achilles fell in love with Deidamia, who bore him a son, Pyrrhus, or Neoptolemus.

At Troy, Achilles led the Myrmidons and proved himself the greatest Greek warrior over the next nine years. An argument then arose between him and Agamemnon over the girl Briseis, whom Achilles had captured as his own. When Agamemnon was forced to give up Chryseis, he took Briseis away from the warrior. Achilles retreated to sulk in his tent and refused to fight until she was returned. The Greeks fared so poorly without him that they gave Briseis back to him, but he still would not go into battle. It took the death of his best friend Patroclus to finally convince him to fight again. Achilles charged into battle with new armor made by Hephaestus in his chariot driven by Automedon and struck terror into the hearts of the Trojans. He chased the great Trojan Hector around the city's walls three times before the warrior faced him and died by Achilles' spear. He then tied Hector's body to his chariot and dragged it back to the Greek ships.

King Priam came in person to ransom his son's body, and Achilles was so moved by the old man's pleas that he yielded it to him. Achilles caught sight of Priam's daughter Polyxena during a truce that followed and fell in love with her. He offered peace in exchange for her hand in marriage, but while plans were underway in the temple of Apollo, Paris shot a poisoned arrow into Achilles' vulnerable heel with the help of Apollo and killed him. He was buried in the same funeral urn as Patroclus.

Actaeon

The son of Autonoe and Aristaeus, and a great hunter taught by the centaur Chiron. While he was hunting near Orchomenus one day, he stumbled into the sacred valley Gargaphia, not knowing anything about the secret cave of Artemis, caught a glimpse of Artemis bathing, who immediately turned him into a stag for looking upon her naked. While Actaeon hesitated in his new form, his pack of fifty dogs caught sight of him. In vain, Actaeon tried to shout out to his hounds, but his new mouth could not form the words. The dogs tore Actaeon to pieces and called for their master to come take the newly felled quarry.

That was the misfortune of Actaeon. For not knowing what he did, he came to be punished and suffered to be hunted, just as he had hunted. (#4 Parada).

Death of Chiron

Heracles is known as the one who mortally wounded his mentor and brought about his death. One version of the story told by Carlos Parada, when Heracles once visited Chiron and they were examining his arrows that were tipped with the blood of the Hydra one of them fell on the centaur's foot. Arrows coated with the blood of the Hydra were known to cause painful wounds that would never heal. Being immortal, Chiron could never heal the wound and never die. He would be forced to suffer this pain for eternity. To save Chiron from this torment Heracles worked out a bargain with the gods. Chiron was to take the place of Prometheus in Tartarus. Chiron gave Prometheus his immortality saving them both from their eternal torment.

Works Cited

1. Harris, Stephen L., and Gloria Platzner. Classical Mythology: Images and Insights. California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2001. (pages:211, 272).

2. Bulfinch, Thomas. Age of Fable: Vols. I & II: Stories of Gods and Heroes, XVI. d. The Centaurs. New York: Review of Reviews, 1913.

3. Leadbetter, Ron. "Asclepius." Encyclopedia Mythica. 29 Feb. 2004 <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/asclepius.html>.

4. Parada, Carlos. Actaeon. Greek Mythology Link. 13 March 2004 <http://Homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Actaeon.html>.

5. Hunter, James. "Achilles." Encyclopedia Mythica. 11 Jan. 2004 <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/achilles.html>.