Mythologis
The Centaur Book: The Centaurs of Greek Mythology

Mythical Creatures Mythology

The Centaur Book: The Centaurs of Greek Mythology

The Wild Horse-Men and the Wise Chiron

The complete guide to the centaur: the wild, drunken horse-men of Greek myth, the war with the Lapiths, the wise healer Chiron who taught the heroes, and the meaning of the half-beast.

160 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Greek and Roman sources
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01Half Man, Half Horse
  2. 02The Birth of the Centaurs
  3. 03The Wild Tribe: Wine, Lust and Violence
  4. 04The Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs
  5. 05Nessus and the Death of Heracles
  6. 06Pholus and the Hospitality That Went Wrong
  7. 07Chiron: The Wisest of the Centaurs
  8. 08The Teacher of Heroes: Achilles, Jason and Asclepius
  9. 09The Wound and the Stars: The Death of Chiron
  10. 10The Centaur in Greek and Roman Art
  11. 11The Meaning of the Half-Beast

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

The centaurs are the beast in us: wild, drunken, violent. And yet the wisest teacher in Greek myth, the tutor of Achilles, is a centaur too. This is the complete guide to the horse-men of Greece.

The centaur is Greek mythology arguing with itself about what a man is. Half human, half horse, the centaurs are usually the picture of the beast in us: wild, lustful, violent drunks who, invited to a wedding, try to carry off the bride and start a war. And yet the greatest teacher in all of Greek myth, the tutor of Achilles, Jason and Asclepius, is also a centaur, the wise and gentle Chiron, who is everything the others are not.

This is the complete guide to the centaur. Their birth from a cloud and a madman's pride; the famous brawl with the Lapiths that became a favourite of Greek art; the centaur Nessus, whose poisoned blood killed Heracles; and above all Chiron, the immortal healer who gave up his own life and was set among the stars. Through them the Greeks thought about the line between human reason and animal nature, the line that runs down the middle of every one of us.

The book follows the centaur from myth to art to meaning, drawing on Homer, Ovid, Apollodorus and the Greek sources, and every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • How the centaurs were born from a cloud and a madman's pride
  • The famous battle with the Lapiths, a favourite of Greek art
  • Nessus, whose poisoned blood brought down Heracles
  • Chiron, the wise and gentle healer who taught the heroes
  • Why the immortal Chiron chose to die and was set among the stars
  • What the half-beast meant to the Greeks who imagined it

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length160 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this just about Chiron?

Chiron gets his due as the great exception, the wise centaur who taught the heroes, but the book covers the whole tribe, the wild centaurs of the Lapith war, Nessus and the death of Heracles, and what the half-horse, half-man meant to the Greeks.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Apollodorus and Ovid among the ancient authors, along with the evidence of Greek vase painting and sculpture, with references to the standard translations.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 160 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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