Pirithous and the Centaur War

Myth Madness

In Greek mythology, centaurs were dangerous. Numerous heroes got into fights with them and there was even a centaur war. In it, the half-horse creatures fought against an equally fierce human tribe called the Lapiths, led by a hero named Pirithous. Pirithous is an interesting character in Greek mythology. He is not well known today, but its clear he was important to the ancient Greeks. This episode covers:

• The mythical origins of the centaurs and Lapiths
• How trouble at Pirithous’s wedding led to a war between the two groups
• Pirithous’ ill-fated friendship with Theseus