Sagittarius
1600x1300mm
oil on canvas
2026
First mentioned:
Iliad ca. 750-700 BCE
The story of Chiron and Prometheus
The wisest and most compassionate of the centaurs, Chiron was gentle, learned, and skilled in medicine, music, philosophy, and the arts of war. He became a teacher to many of the greatest heroes of Greek mythology, including Achilles, Jason, and Heracles.
Chiron was immortal, but his fate changed when Heracles accidentally wounded him with an arrow poisoned by the blood of the Hydra. The wound was unbearable, yet Chiron could not die. Desperate to escape his endless suffering, he eventually sought a way to surrender his immortality.
Prometheus, meanwhile, had stolen fire from the gods and given it to humanity, bringing warmth, knowledge, and the power to create. As punishment, Zeus chained him to a mountain, where he was condemned to endless torment.
When Heracles eventually freed Prometheus, his release required another immortal to surrender their immortality. Chiron willingly offered himself. By giving up his immortality, he not only escaped his own suffering but allowed Prometheus to remain free, carrying the weight of the sacrifice made for him.
Moved by Chiron's sacrifice, Zeus placed him among the stars and he became associated with the centaur archer Sagittarius.
