Perhaps the most important observation to take from this chapter is that Greek Mythology and Legend existed in no fixed canon of classification. Each community told stories with myriad variations of theme and character. Like Tantalus and Bellerophon, Ixion abused his friendship with the gods.
Centaurs are very common in Greek art as symbols of uncivilized barbarism.
They appear in funerary reliefs in Roman times as part of the procession accompanying Dionysus, and they are often introduced in European art as part of a classical landscape. Chiron, a wse centaur and teacher of heroes, is usually shown as a contemplative and peaceful figure, typically in scenes where he receives the young Achilles as his pupil. The centaurs, including Chiron, Nessus and Pholus, guard the violent criminals in the 12th. Peleus and Thetis . The wedding feast is frequently shown by painters of all periods, and it is closely related to scenes of the Banquet of the Gods.