CHIRON, a famous personage of antiquity; styled
by Plutarch, in his dialogue on music, "The wise Cen-
taur." Sir Isaac Newton places his birth in the first
age after Deucalion's deluge, commonly called the
Golden Age; and adds, that he formed the constella-
tions for the use of the Argonauts, when he was 88
years old; for he was a practical astronomer, as well
as his daughter Hippo: he may, therefore, be said to
have flourished in the earliest ages of Greece, as he
preceded the conquest of the Golden Fleece, and the
Trojan war. He is generally called the son of Saturn
and Philyra; and is said to have been born in Thes-
saly among the CENTAURS, who were the first Greeks
that had acquired the art of breaking and riding
horses: whence the poets, painters, and sculptors, have
represented them as a compound of man and horse;
and perhaps it was at first imagined by the Greeks, as
well as the Americans, when they first saw cavalry,
that the horse and the rider constituted the same ani-
mal.
Chiron was represented by the ancients as one of
the first inventors of medicine, botany, and chirur-
gery; a word which some etymologists have derived
from his name. He inhabited a grotto or cave in the
foot of Mount Pelion, which, from his wisdom and
great knowledge of all kinds, became the most famous
and frequented school throughout Greece. Almost
all the heroes of his time were fond of receiving his
instructions; and Xenophon, who enumerates them,
names the following illustrious personages among his
disciples: Cephalus, Æsculapius, Melanion, Nestor, Am-
phiarus, Peleus, Telamon, Meleager, Theseus, Hip-
politus, Palamedes, Ulysses, Mnestheus, Diomedes, Cas-
tor and Pollux, Machaon and Podalirius, Antilochus,
Æneas, and Achilles. From this catalogue it appears,
that Chiron frequently instructed both fathers and
sons; and Xenophon has given a short eulogium on
each, which may be read in his works, and which re-
unds to the honour of the preceptor. The Greek
historian, however, has omitted naming several of his
scholars, such as Bacchus, Phoenix, Cocytus, Arystaeus,
Jason, and his son Medeus, Ajax, and Proteilaus. Of
these we shall only take notice of such as interest
Chiron more particularly. It is pretended that the
Grecian Bacchus was the favourite scholar of the Cen-
taur: and that he learned of this master the revels,
orgies, bacchanalia, and other ceremonies of his wor-
ship. According to Plutarch, it was likewise at the
school of Chiron that Hercules studied music, medi-
cine, and justice; though Diodorus Siculus tells us, that
Linus was the music-master of this hero. But among
all the heroes who have been disciples of this Centaur,
no one reflected so much honour upon him as Achilles,
whose renown he in some measure shared; and to
whose education he in a particular manner attended,
being his grandfather by the mother's side. Apollo-
dorus tells us, that the study of music employed a con-
siderable part of the time which he bestowed upon his
young pupil, as an incitement to virtuous actions, and
a bridle to the impetuosity of his temper. One of
the best remains of antique painting now existing, is
a picture upon this subject, dug out of the ruins of
Herculaneum, in which Chiron is teaching the young
Achilles to play on the lyre. The death of this phi-
losophic musician was occasioned, at an extreme old
age, by an accidental wound in the knee with a poi-
soned arrow, shot by his scholar Hercules at another.
He was placed after his death by Musæus among the
constellations, through respect for his virtues, and in
gratitude for the great services which he had render-
ed the people of Greece. Sir Isaac Newton says*, "Chiron,
in proof of the constellations being formed by Chiron p. 151.
and Musæus for the use and honour of the Argonauts,
that nothing later than the expedition was delineated
on the sphere: according to the same author, Chiron
lived till after the Argonautic expedition, in which he
had two grandsons. The ancients have not failed to
attribute to him several writings; among which, ac-
cording to Suidas, are precepts, verbosus, in verse,
composed for the use of Achilles; and a medicinal
treatise on the diseases incident to horses and other quad-
rupeds, ἰππιατρικὴ; the lexicographer even pretends,
that it is from this work the Centaur derived his name.
Fabricius gives a list of the works attributed to Chi-
ron, and discusses the claims which have been made
for others to the same writings; and in vol. xiii. he
gives him a distinguished place in his catalogue of an-
cient physicians.