Chiron in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Chiron

13 passages from 8 ancient authors that tell of Chiron, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Chiron was no ordinary centaur: son of Cronus and the nymph Philyra, he taught heroes like Achilles and Jason. Read his story, injury and family. For the story in one place, read our article on Chiron.

Hesiod (1)

Hesiod, Fragments 9.1–8Precepts of Chiron and other fragmentsThe Precepts of Chiron are advice given to a young man, beginning with sacrifice to the immortal gods when you come to your house and with the rule not to decide a suit until you have heard both sides. Other fragments include the long life of the crow and the stag, the Silver Race, and a note on the Muses of Helicon.

Apollodorus (2)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.5.1–6The Labours of Heracles (1-6): the Nemean Lion to the Stymphalian BirdsHeracles goes to Tiryns and serves Eurystheus, who sets him labours. He strangles the Nemean lion, kills the Lernaean hydra with Iolaus's help, takes the Cerynitian hind alive, and captures the Erymanthian boar after the fight with the centaurs at Pholus's cave, in which Chiron is wounded. He then cleans the stables of Augeas by diverting two rivers, and scares off the Stymphalian birds with Athena's castanets. Eurystheus refuses to count the hydra and the stables, because Iolaus helped and Augeas paid a wage.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.13.1–8Peleus, Thetis and the youth of AchillesPeleus flees to Phthia and is purified, kills Eurytion by accident in the Calydonian hunt, and escapes the plots of Astydamia, wife of Acastus. With help from Chiron he wins Thetis, who tries to make their son Achilles immortal in the fire. When Calchas declares that Troy cannot be taken without Achilles, Thetis hides him among the daughters of Lycomedes, where Odysseus finds him; Phoenix and Patroclus join him.

Pindar (5)

Pindar, Pythian Odes 3.1–115Pythian 3: for Hieron — Asclepius and CoronisPindar wishes that Cheiron were alive to heal Hieron as he once healed others through his pupil Asclepius. He tells how Coronis, carrying Apollo's child, took another lover and was killed, and how Apollo rescued the child from the pyre and gave him to Cheiron to learn healing. Asclepius, tempted by gold to raise a dead man, was struck down by Zeus; the ode ends with the sorrows of Peleus and Cadmus as proof that no man has unmixed happiness.
Pindar, Pythian Odes 9.1–125Pythian 9: for Telesicrates — Cyrene and ApolloPindar praises Telesicrates of Cyrene, victor in the race in armour, and tells how Apollo fell in love with the nymph Cyrene, daughter of Hypseus, who wrestled with lions, and asked Cheiron whether he might take her. Cheiron foretells that Apollo will bring her to Libya, where she will bear Aristaeus, whom Hermes will entrust to Gaia and the Horae. The ode ends with the victories of Telesicrates' family and the stories of Danaüs, who married off his daughters by a race, and of the Libyan bride, the daughter of Antaeus, won in a race.
Pindar, Pythian Odes 4.1–142Pythian 4: for Arcesilas — Medea's prophecy and Jason at IolcusPindar honours Arcesilas, king of Cyrene and victor in the chariot race, and recalls the word that Medea spoke at Thera, that her companions' descendants would colonise Libya, so that Arcesilas is eighth in the line from Battus. He then turns to Jason, who arrives at Iolcus wearing one sandal and astonishes the crowd in the market-place, and who says that he has come to recover his father's honour. His kinsmen Pheres, Amythaon, Admetus and Melampus gather to him, and he leads them to the hall of Pelias and begins his appeal to the king.
Pindar, Nemean Odes 3.1–84Nemean 3: for Aristocleides — the Aeacidae and CheironPindar calls on the Muse to come to Aegina for the pancratiast Aristocleides, and says that victory in the contest heals its blows. He recalls the Aeacidae: Peleus, who took Iolcus and won the sea-nymph Thetis, Telamon, who followed Heracles against Laomedon, and Achilles, whom Cheiron trained in all the arts of a hero. The ode ends with the virtues that suit each age of life.
Pindar, Pythian Odes 6.1–50Pythian 6: for Xenocrates — Thrasybulus and AntilochusPindar likens his ode to a treasure-house at Delphi for Xenocrates of Acragas, victor in the chariot race, and praises his son Thrasybulus for keeping the old precept of honouring his father. He recalls Cheiron's teaching to Achilles to honour Zeus and parents, and how Antilochus died to save his father Nestor from Memnon.

Euripides (1)

Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis 677–740Second episode: Clytemnestra questions Agamemnon about the weddingAgamemnon sends Iphigenia in, and Clytemnestra asks about the bridegroom's family, and he tells her of Aegina, of Peleus and Thetis, and of the Centaur Chiron. Clytemnestra asks who will give the bride away and where she is to prepare the feast for the women. Agamemnon says that she must go back to Argos, and Clytemnestra, after protesting, refuses to obey.

Apollonius Rhodius (1)

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.448–558The feast, Orpheus' song and the departure from PagasaeAt the feast on the shore Idas jeers at Idmon's prophecy and Idmon answers him, and Orpheus ends the quarrel by singing of the origin of earth, sky and sea. At dawn the heroes embark, Tiphys takes the helm and Argo leaves Pagasae to the music of Orpheus' lyre while Cheiron shows Achilles to his father Peleus from the shore.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.633–707Ocyroe and BattusChiron's daughter Ocyroe prophesies the greatness of the young Asclepius (Aesculapius) and, foretelling her own fate, is turned into a mare. Hermes (Mercury) steals Apollo's cattle, and the old man Battus promises to keep silent, but later betrays the theft to the disguised god for a reward, and Hermes turns him into a stone, the touchstone.

Pausanias (1)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.5.1–11Elis: Aristotimus, Elean flax, Samicum, Lepreus and the river AnigrusPausanias mentions the tyrant Aristotimus, killed at the altar of Saviour Zeus, and the two marvels of Elis, its fine flax and the mares that conceive by asses only outside its borders. He describes Samicum and Lepreus, its foundation legends and tombs, the spring Arene, and the river Anigrus, whose foul water and healing cave of the Anigrian nymphs he explains, with competing stories involving Chiron and Melampus.

Quintus Smyrnaeus (1)

Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 1.494–653Achilles kills PenthesileiaAs the Trojans are about to fire the ships, Aias hears the cries and calls Achilles, and both arm and meet the Amazons. Penthesileia hurls two spears at them in vain and boasts, and Achilles pierces her with Chiron's spear. He then runs his spear through her horse, and horse and rider die together.