Centaur (Greek Mythology)

Centaurs, also known as Hippocentaurs, Ixionida or Kentauroi, are creatures from Greek mythology which are half man, half horse.

Description:
Centaurs have a human body from the waist up, and a horse body from the waste down. They are described as having sapient intelligence and are characterized as savage and lustful.

Typical Centaurs:

 * Agrius
 * Amycus
 * Absolus
 * Bienor
 * Centaurus
 * Chiron
 * Chthonius
 * Cyllarus
 * Dictys
 * Eurytus
 * Eurynomos
 * Elatus
 * Eurytion
 * Hylaeus
 * Hylonome
 * Nessus
 * Perimedes
 * Phólos
 * Pholus
 * Thaumas
 * Rhoecus

Cyprian Centaurs:
Centaurs native to the island of Cyrpus which had bull horns.

Lamian Centaurs:
Also called Lamian Pheres. Twelve spirits of the Lamos river who were sent by Zeus to guard the infant Dionysos. Hera transformed them into ox-horned Centaurs.
 * Aescaus
 * Amphithemus
 * Ceteus
 * Eurybios
 * Faunus
 * Gleneus
 * Nomeon
 * Orthaon
 * Petraeus
 * Phanes
 * Riphonus
 * Spargeus

Pterocentaurs (Winged Centaurs):
Centaurs with wings like that of the Pegasus. Were rarely mentioned in myth, making most of their appearances in art, and received their name used here from the roleplay Warriors of Myth.

Origin of the Centaurs:
The Centaurs dwelt on Mount Pelion in Thessaly, northern Greece. They were the result of Ixion, the king of Lapithe, having a mistaken relation with a cloud. The cloud had been created by Zeus in the likeness of Hera, to foil a planned rendezvous by her and Ixion.

This resulted in the birth of Centaurus, who was to become the father of the Centaurs by mating with Magnesian mares. Sometimes the Centaurs are known as Ixionida due to this.

Centauromachy:
The Centaurs went to war when a part of Thessaly was inherited by King of the Lapiths from his father Ixion. Because they were grandsons of Ixion, the Centaurs believed they also had a claim to the land and went to war.

King Pirithous was getting married and, as a token, invited the Centaurs to the marriage feast. The Centaurs made fools of themselves by getting drunk, violating the female guests and attempting to kidnap the bride. This resulted in a battle where they were all driven from Thessaly, with the exception of Chiron, who was regarded as very respectable and an exception to the Centaurs' typical behavior.

The Constellation Sagittarius:
Chiron was accidentally wounded by Heracles and, as a result, lived in constant great pain and, as an immortal, could not die a natural death. The only release from an eternity of pain was to trade his immortality for the mortality of Prometheus. For this Zeus placed him in the stars, where he became the constellation Sagittarius.