Chiron

in Greek mythology, was a son of Saturn and Philyra, a daughter of Oceanus. According to Homer, he was the, most famous and just of the Centaurs. In order to hide his connection with Philyra from his wife Rhea, Saturn had changed himself into a horse, whence the offspring had, in part, that form. This, however, is only a later myth, for in Homer there is no intimation of the form of a horse. Chiron was married to Chariclo, the daughter of Apollo, and had one son, Carystus, and two daughters, Ocyvrrhoe and Eudeis, the latter of whom became the wife of king JEacus. He lived on the mountain. Pelion, in Thessalia, and here the generation of the Chironides, skilled in medicine, took their origin. Being instructed by Apollo and Diana, he became master of hunting, of medicine, of music, and.of gymnastics and prophecy. He taught the hero-youth Achilles these arts; likewise Jason, AEsculapius, Actseon, Telamon, Peleus, Theseus, AMedeus, Cephalus, Milanion, Nestor, Amphiaraus, Meleager, Hippolytus, Palamedes, Ulysses,. Menestheus, Diomede, Castor, Pollux, Machaon, Podalirius, Antilochus, and AEneas. He saved Peleus, his grandson, from the hands of the rest of the Centaurs, who sought to murder him, restored to him the sword which Acastus had hid, and gave him a powerful lance, which, later, Achilles carried. The Argonauts, on their journey, called on him, and he gave them his blessing. In the combat with Hercules he was wounded by an arrow, and the pain caused him to beg Jupiter to liberate him from immortality, which the god did by transferring that attribute to Prometheus.