Asbolus

This article is about the mythological figure. For the minor planet, see 8405 Asbolus.

In Greek mythology, Asbolus (English translation: "sooty" or according to Dieter Koch, "carbon dust"[1]) was a centaur. He was a Seer,or an auger. He was a diviner who read omens in the flight of birds.[2] He foresaw the Centaurs' battle against the Lapiths at Pirithous' wedding, and attempted to prevent them from attending. He failed.

The above is mentioned in Ovid's Metamorphoses,

...Asbolus the prophet who had warned,
Though no one heard him, all his friends
To give way, not to fight [the Lapithae]. He cried to Nessus,
"You need not run; you shall be saved till that
Fine day Hercules' arrow strikes your back."

— Ovid, The Metamorphoses, Book 12 (12.308)[3][4]

He appears again when Heracles came to visit the centaur Pholus. Pholus opened a jug of wine for him which belonged to all the Centaurs; Asbolus saw Pholus do this and brought the other Centaurs, who, as it was proved by Pirithous' wedding, were unused to the drink. It resulted in a bloodbath in which Pholus and Chiron, as well as Nessus, met their deaths at Heracles' hands. It is said that Asbolus himself was crucified by Heracles' arrows.[5]

Asbolus' name was given to 8405 Asbolus, a minor planet in the outer Solar System. It belongs to the class of centaurs, whose orbits lie between Jupiter and Neptune.[2]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.zanestein.com/asbolus.htm
  2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (8405) Asbolus. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 648. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  3. ↑ http://markandrewholmes.com/asbolus.html
  4. ↑ http://ovid.lib.virginia.edu/trans/Metamorph12.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.zanestein.com/asbolus.htm


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