m 



CENTAUR. 



CENTERING. 



VTAUR, in mythology, a compound of horse and man, supposed 

 to bare sprung from the amour between Ixion and the Cloud, which 

 he mistook for Juno : their name has been thought to point to their 

 origin (ccrr^v, oty-or); but this explanation can hardly be admitted. 

 It is not improbable that their existence may have been imagined from 

 the first sight of a man on horseback, and as their history makes them 

 neighbours of the LapiUuc, it ix probable that they were merely one of 



r 



those Thessalian tribes among whom the far-famed cavalry of that 

 nation took its rise. They are aim called HipjxicentaurH. Paltrphatus's 

 account of the origin of their name (Awo rov xtrrtlr rout ravpovs) 

 is a mere invention, and, in point of etymology, quite inaduiisi<il>le. 



The story of the battle of the Centaurs and the Lapittue, which 

 formed so favourite a subject with Greek artist*, is to the effect that 

 Eurytion, a Centaur, having at the nuptial feast of Pirithoiui king of 

 the Lapith<c, offered violence to the bride Hippodamia, was instantly 

 slain by Theseus the friend of Perithous. The other Centaurs present 

 ought to avenge the death of Eurytion, and to carry off the female 

 guests. A general fight ensued : and war continued for some time 

 with varying success between the combatants, but eventually t! : .- 

 Centaurs were vanquished, and driven out of Thessaly. They found a 

 refuge on Mount Pindus ; but here they provoked the anger of Hercules, 

 who destroyed the whole of the race. 



The battle of the Centaurs and the Lnpithtc forms the subject of the 

 metopes of the Parthenon, part of which are now in the Itritish 

 Museum ; and also one of the two subject* represented on the Phiga- 

 lelan frieze, which is also in the British Museum. We give an example 

 from each. 



[from the Metopet of the Parthenon, now in the Briton Museum.] 



[From the frieze of the temple at Phlgalia, now in the UritiMi Mu.-cum.] 



CENTAU'RUS, the Centaur, a southern constellation, a very small 

 part of which risen in our latitude. It is xituated under Virgo and 

 Libra, and is evidently connected with LUPUS and AHA. Prom 

 Ptolemy's catalogue, it is evident that he considered the Centaur as 

 holding the wolf (nr wild beast, as it is called) in one hand, and a 

 Uiyrsuii in the other ; and from the proximity of the altar, it is plain 

 that a sacrifice is alluded to. According to Grotius (notes on Aratus), 

 the thyrsus anciently had a hare hanging from it. In some older 

 figure., the Centaur holds a spear in both hands, which sustains the 

 wolf, passing through iU head. Hyginun makes only one constellation 

 of Centaurus and Lupus. 



The following are the principal star* in this constellation : 



Ch.rscUr. 





 A 



* 



r 



No. In Catalogue 

 of British 

 Association. 



: ; 



4087 



4103 



4540 



4570 



4 -io I 



Magnitude. 



s 



4 

 4 

 I 

 :. 

 I 

 8 

 4 



Character. 



No. in Catalogue 

 of British 

 AnoeUlion. 



4623 

 4638 



MM 



4811 

 4831 

 MM 



Magnitude. 



4 

 3 

 3 

 3 

 4 

 4 

 1 



CENTERING. A centering, in building operations. U understood 

 to mean a wooden, nr other temporary, support, upon wliicli Hie 

 materials of an arch, whether of stone, lirick, iron, or other mil' 

 arc supported during the execution of the work. Under these Hi mm 

 stances, the essential properties of a centre are that 1, it HlnmM 1>> 

 able to support the load to be placed upon it without sensible deflec- 

 tion ; 2, that it should be easily and economically fixed ; and, 3, that it 

 should I* susceptible of iN'ing easily and economically removal, without 

 in any way endangering the solidity of the work it had previously nip 

 ported. K* iil'-ntly, local conmrlcnitimix immt materially affect all these 

 |,!-M|Ttiv ; for the width "f the opening to be spanned by the centre, 

 and the clear height to he left under the wood framing, must mate- 

 rially influence the modes of construction adopted in it ; and thus pre- 



