page_title: Chiron
section_title: Biography
hierarchical_section_title: Chiron / Biography
caption_attribution_description: English: Identifier: goldenporchbooko00hutc (find matches) Title: Golden porch&#160;: a book of Greek fairy tales Year: 1914 (1910s) Authors: Hutchinson, W. M. L. (Winifred Margaret Lambart), b. 1868 Subjects: Fairy tales -- Greece Publisher: New York&#160;: Longmans, Green and Co. Contributing Library: New York Public Library Digitizing Sponsor: MSN View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: he babe, who was beau-tiful as the day, looked into Chirons wise old faceand smiled, and Chiron said, See, already he iswithout fear, this child who is to be so great awarrior. Then he called Philyra and Chariclo,those gentle nurses of many a hero, and gave thebabe into their keeping; but he himself madeready supper for Peleus without more words, forhe saw that his sorrow was great. Nor did heask him any more questions till he had cheeredhim with food and wine, and they were sittingtogether, as of old, beside the hearth. Then,laying his hand on the young mans shoulder, hesaid, Will you not tell me now, my son, whatthis sorrow is, which I can but guess at, that if Icannot help you, at least I may strive to comfortyou&#160;? Little I thought, said Peleus, whenI left this cave the happiest of mortals, that everI should come back with such tidings as I musttell you now. The daughter of Nereus has for-saken me and our child, and gone back to theSea-Kings halls. She told me at the beginning that Text Appearing After Image: •. - -5,~ -5 THE NEW YORKPUBLIC LIBTU ASTOR, LENOX ANDTILDEN FOUNDATIONS. PELEUS 141 she must leave me for ever the first time I crossedher in anything, for such, she said, is the way ofall the sea-people. And when the babe was born,I woke one night and saw her steal out of ourchamber carrying it in her arms, and I followed• her, to see what she would do. She went into thehall, where the fire still burned on the hearth, andthere, horror-stricken, I saw her thrust the childinto the glowing embers. Who could see thatand not do as I did&#160;? Yet the reproachful lookThetis gave me, as I snatched the babe from her,pierced me to the soul. Did I not warn you,she said, never to cross me&#160;? Had you not hin-dered, I would have made the child weapon-prooffrom head to heel by the power of flame. But Imust leave that work undone. Farewell, fare-well&#160;! With that, quick as a lightning-flash,she darted from the hall and from the palace,and flung herself into the sea. Chiron listened without wonder to Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: In Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs".
context_section_description: Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology for his youth-nurturing nature. His personal skills tend to match those of his foster father Apollo, who taught the young centaur the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics and prophecy, and made him rise above his beastly nature. Chiron was known for his knowledge and skill with medicine, and thus was credited with the discovery of botany and pharmacy, the science of herbs and medicine.
  Like satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild, lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, violent when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents. Chiron, by contrast, was intelligent, civilized and kind, because he was not related directly to the other centaurs due to his parentage. He was the son of the Titan Cronus and the Oceanid Philyra, and thus possible brother to Dolops and Aphrus, the ancestor and eponym of the Aphroi, i.e. the native Africans. Chiron lived predominantly on Mount Pelion; there he married the nymph Chariclo who bore him three daughters, Hippe (also known as Melanippe meaning the "black mare" or Euippe, "good mare"), Endeïs, and Ocyrhoe, and one son Carystus. A different source also stated that his wife was called Nais while a certain Aristaeus was called his son.
  Like the other centaurs, Chiron was later expelled by the Lapithae from his home; but sacrifices were offered to him there by the Magnesians until a very late period, and the family of the Cheironidae in that neighbourhood, who were distinguished for their knowledge of medicine, were regarded as his descendants.
caption: Chiron, Peleus and infant Achilles
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