Seven Deadly Sin: Lust

LUST

Lust or lechery (carnal "luxuria") is an emotion or feeling of intense desire in the body. It is usually thought of as excessive sexual wants, however the word was originally a general term for desire. Lust can take any form such as the lust for knowledge, the lust for sex or the lust for power. Therefore lust could involve the intense desire of money, fame, or power as well. Lust is a powerful psychological force producing intense wanting for an object, or circumstance fulfilling the emotion. Many religions separate the definition of passion and lust by further categorizing lust as type of passion for something that does not belong to oneself.

 Centaurs

A more widely accepted account of their origin, they are descendants of Ixion, the son of Ares, God of War and King of the Lapiths, a people who lived in Thessaly, Northern Greece.

Ixion fell in love with Hera, the wife of Zeus (bad move). Recklessly, Ixion arranged to meet with Hera, planning to seduce her. Zeus heard of the plan (being the Lord of the Air) and created a clone from a cloud in the form of Hera.  Ixion embraced the cloud form, and from this union, Centaurus.  So when Ixion went around boasting that he had enjoyed Hera, Zeus bound him to a wheel, on which he is whirled by winds through the air. Centaurus gave birth to the race of Centaurs by mating with Magnesian mares.

Part-human, part-animal beings in Greek mythology tend to be aggressive. Centaurs are depicted with the head and torso of a man, and the legs and lower body of a horse. Centaurs described them as rowdy creatures with untamable appetites for lust and debauchery.

They were always involved in brawls and battles being legacy of Ares. Often Zeus would send the Centaurs to punish gods and humans who had offended him.

They lived near Mount Pelion in Northern Greece, and followed their Patron Dionysus, God of the Wine and Celebration. As a result, they were often found partying hard and taking advantage of young women and men. The centaurs are civilized mostly when sober and are astronomers.

When Pirithous, a son of Ixion, married Hippodamia, he invited the centaurs because they were her kinsmen. But the centaurs could not handle wine. They made themselves drunk by drinking without moderation, and when the bride was brought in, they attempted to rape her and rest of the Lapith women. The strife among these cousins is a metaphor for the conflict between the lower appetites and civilized behavior in humankind. Theseus, a hero and founder of cities, who happened to be present, threw the balance in favor of the right order of things, and assisted Pirithous. The centaurs were driven off or destroyed. Their habitat now are lands like valleys, prairies, etc.