Chiron the centaur raised and tutored many of ancient Greece’s heroes, but he didn’t do so by himself. He had help from his wife, Chariklo. She knows all the heroes, having shared her cave with them. Chariklo may be a centaur, too, or she may be a Nymph. Her other claim to fame is that she is Athena’s best friend. Alternatively, she is Athena’s lover. Chariklo’s son, Tiresias, accidentally caught sight of Athena naked; the goddess struck him blind. Although unable to undo her curse, when Chariklo bitterly complained, Athena compensated Tiresias by blessing him with the gift of prophecy.
Chariklo, discovered in 1997, is the largest of the icy planetoids known as centaurs. She has an orbit of 62.4 years.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Chariclo
ORIGIN:
Greece
ICONOGRAPHY:
Chariklo appears frequently on sixth-century BCE vase paintings depicting the wedding of Thetis. She forms a triad of goddesses with Hestia and Demeter.
SEE ALSO:
- Achilles
- Athena
- Chiron
- Demeter
- Heracles
- Hestia
- Thetis
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.
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