Sagittarius – the Ancient Greek Myth Behind the Zodiac Sign

Sagittarius – Centaur. November 22 – December 2

November 22 to December 21

Sagittarius, a fire sign represented by the symbol of a bow and arrow, is the ninth astrological sign.

People born under this zodiac sign are said to crave an independent, exciting life and demand the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Sagittarius identifies with the ancient Greek myth of Chiron the centaur; half human, half horse, who taught Achilles, Greek hero of the Trojan Wars, all there was to know about archery.

12 symbols of the 12 zodiac signs

Symbols of the 12 signs of the zodiac

Aries – Ram. March 21 – April 19

Taurus – Bull. April 20 – May 20

Gemini -The twins. May 21 – June 20

Cancer – Crab. June 21 – July 22

Leo – Lion. July 23 – August 22

Virgo – Virgin. August 23 – September 22

Libra – The scales. September 23 – October 22

Scorpio – Scorpion. October 23 – November 21

Sagittarius – Centaur. November 22 – December 21

Capricorn – Goat. December 22 – January 19

Aquarius – Water bearer. January 20 – February 18

Pisces – Fish. February 19 – March 20

Ancient Greeks and the Zodiac

The mysterious night sky thrilled the ancient Greek astrologers who played a huge role in what we now know today about the shape and size of the Earth, the moon, the position of constellations and how they move, the orbital paths of planets and their correlation with the stars around them.

The 12 zodiac constellations

They were able to use this information to make detailed predictions; what we know of today as horoscopes.

In ancient Greece each one of the twelve signs of the zodiac (the word zodiac comes from a Greek word meaning, “The circle of animals” meaning all living creatures), related to one of the four elements: earth, air, fire and water and identified with twelve constellations seen in the night sky at different times of the year.

With the exception of Libra, each zodiac sign relates to a Greek myth concerning animals or humans, explaining how each group of stars arrived in the heavens.

The zodiac sign of Sagittarius

A symbolic representation of Sagittarius published in Uranographia by Johann Elert Bode.

9th sign of the zodiac

November 22 to December 21

Symbol: Archer

Element: Fire

Ruling Panet Jupiter

The ancient Greek myth behind the zodiac sign of Sagittarius:

Chiron the centaur or Crotus the Satyr?

Chiron and Achilles by John Singer Sargent (circa 1922-1925)

There is some confusion about who is the archer with the bow and arrow dipicted in the symbol of the zodiac sign of Sagittarius as there are two constellations in the sky which are both represented by centaurs; Sagittarius and Centarus.

Centaurs are half human – half horse creatures with the head and torso of a man and the lower half that of a hoofed beast with four legs.

Was it Chiron, son of Chronus, in Greek mythology, the centaur who taught Achilles, the hero of the Trojan wars, all there was to know about archery and whom some ancient Greeks believed invented archery, or was it Crotus, son of the mischevous satyr Pan?

The Education of Achilles by Chiron, fresco from Herculaneum, 1st century AD (Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples)

Version one: Chiron the centaur

Crotus was an intelligent and gifted satyr; a talented musician and hunter (as was Chiron) who lived on Mount Helicon amongst the Muses.

Satyrs also have human heads and torsos but have only two legs; those of a goat and usually have horns.

You can see why the confusion occurred about who represents Sagittarius; Chiron or Crotus.

The satyr

Not only did they look alike, they both hunted with bows and arrows and contrary to your usual centaurs and satyrs, known to be wild, rowdy, lusty, impolite creatures with no respect for authority, Crotus and Chiron were gentle and kind, with knowledge of the arts and sciences and were civil and polite to humans.

The Centaur

Chiron who taught medicine, hunting, music and prophecy, was mentor to many ancient Greek heroes, including Jason, of the argonauts fame, Achilles of the Trojan wars and was friend to Heracles, known for the trials and tribulations of his twelve labours.

One of the most famous depictions of Heracles, Farnese Hercules, Roman marble statue on the basis of an original by Lysippos, 216 CE. National Archaeological Museum, Naples, Italy

Farnese Hercules, Roman marble statue on the basis of an original by Lysippos, 216 CE. National Archaeological Museum, Naples, Italy

Heracles accidentally killed his friend Chiron with a poisoned arrow whilst they were out hunting wild boar.

Being the son of Cronus, Chiron was immortal and could not die.

Full of sorrow and gulit, Heracles vowed to help Chiron and made a deal with Zeus; king of all Greek gods.

Chiron would take the place of Prometheus, the Titan god of fire , whose punishment from Zeus for stealing fire from the gods to give to the humans, was to be tied to a rock from where he could not be freed unless someone else took his place, where upon an eagle was to eat his liver over and over again.

The Torture of Prometheus, painting by Salvator Rosa (1646–1648

Chiron swapped places with Prometheus who was then set free.

Zeus allowed Chiron to die and placed his image among the stars as reward of his noble character.

Verasion Two: Crotus the Satyr

Pan and child Crotos (Krotos) - by Isabel Mahe

Pan and child Crotus (Krotus) – by Isabel Mahe

Crotus, who was devoted to the muses and would clap with joy on hearing them sing (Crotus is believed to have introduced applause), which was of much higher aclaim to the muses than words of appreciation.

The word crotus, or krotos, in Greek, means to clap, or a loud noise.

The muses requested of Zeus, as an honour to Crotus, to place him among the stars, transforming him into the constellation Sagittarius.

Personality traits of Sagittarius

Sagittarius positive traits

People born under the sign of Sagittarius love to travel and are known for their free spirit.

They have a fear of being attached to anyone and long-term relationships or anything which will weigh them down with obligations, despite this, they are always on the lookout for their soulmate.

Sagittarians seem to be full of contradictions, not surprising as their symbol is a centaur; a half-man and a half-horse, their animal instincts and spirituality are in constant battle.

Sagittarians charge into relationships at high speed, wanting everything at once and then wonder why they also burn out at top speed, causing them to run from relationships.

They love to play with fire and are the world’s biggest flirts; flirting boosts their ego.

A Sagittarius may want to share their life with that special someone but at the same time they need to feel free and independent.

Sagittarius positive traits

(Sagittarius traits source: ganeshaspeaks.com)

Sagittarius positive traits

Smart

Sagittarians are level headed, smart and intelligent. They are able to see the possibilities and take the risk. They think ten steps ahead of what everyone else is thinking and that’s why they are very difficult to fool.

Caring

Sagittarius cares for you deeply but doesn’t always know how to show it. You’ll have to read between the lines. Caring too much is the one thing a Sagittarius battles with all the time.

Deep

Sagittarius is a deep thinker. They will want to examine who the other person is and where they are going and can see the end with a clearness that others mostly lack.

Honest

Sagittarius is the most brutally honest of the zodiac. They don’t care who doesn’t like it! They are extremely honest and that is why others are fond of this sign.

Wild

Sagittarius is wild, independent, fun, friendly and outgoing. They are considered as the wild children of the zodiac. One will always find them with a zest for life and a curiosity level that is wild.

Sagittarius negative traits

Impatient

Sagittarians never want to slow things down. They are restless and impatient. When things are not moving as per them, they end up getting frustrated and grumpy.

Careless

Sagittarians sometimes act in a careless manner, taking things for granted and taking risks that can put themselves and others at risk. Their carelessness often attracts criticism from all corners.

Boastful

Sagittarius is self-assured, optimistic, verbal, and are prone to exaggerate and make everything, whether good or bad, more significant than it is. They are hyperbolic and boastful.

Attention Seeking:

Sagittarians are also known for being irritating attention-seekers. Sagittarians might even threaten to harm themselves to get attention.

Brutal

Sagittarius is a time bomb. They are usually very nice and decent, but when they freak out, it’s going to be an explosion you’ll never forget; they will do anything and everything and say just about anything nasty.