Bellerophon

In ancient Corinth there lived a young hero called Bellerophon who was the son of Glaucus, king of Ephyra, today's Corinth, and grandson of Sisyphus... He was famous for his bravery and valour in battle.

Unfair accusation

One day, he was falsely accused of a crime and exiled from his city, Corinth. Thus, he arrived at Tiryns, where Proetus reigned.

Another injustice

Proetus' wife, Sthenevia, falsely accused him of attempting to harm her. This angered the king, but he feared Zeus' wrath if he tried to kill him, for Bellerophon was a guest. So he sent a letter to his father-in-law, King Job of Lycia, asking him to kill him.

The mission

Initially, Jovatus organized a great feast to welcome Bellerophon and held it for nine whole days. On the tenth day, after reading the letter of Proetus, he cowed down to commit the crime himself, for he too feared the fury of the gods and the Furies. He then devised the following mission for Bellerophon: to kill a terrible monster that was circulating in the land and was called Chimera.

With the seer Polthado

Before setting out on his expedition, Bellerophon met the wise seer Polthado, who gave him valuable advice. He revealed to him that in order to defeat Chimera he had to capture the winged horse, Pegasus. To do this, he had to sleep in the temple of the goddess Athena.

The dream

Bellerophon obeyed, and indeed, in his dream, the goddess offered him a golden bridle. The bridle was to be worn to Pegasus while he drank water from the spring of Irene, in the acropolis of Corinth.

Bellerefont - Pegasus

When he woke up, he found the golden bridle next to him and followed the instructions he saw in his dream. He managed to capture and ride Pegasus. Thus, full of courage, he set out on his journey to face the terrible monster, Chimera.

Chimera

Chimera was a mythical beast, descendant of the terrible Typhon and the dreaded Echidna. She lived in a steep ravine and lurked in hiding until a passerby approached, only to be burned to the ground by her flame. She had three heads: a lion's head in front, a snake's head behind, and, in the middle, a goat's head that spouted flames. She was fast and seemed invincible because of the uncontained fire she spewed.

Bellerophon - Chimera

When Bellerophon arrived in Lycia, riding on Pegasus, he flew high above Chimera. Taking advantage of his position, he began to strike her with his arrows. Then, he thought of a clever plan: he threw his spear, to which he had stuck a piece of lead, towards the fire that the goat's head was emitting. When the pencil made contact with the fire, it melted and the hot metal rolled down Chimera's neck, burning her from the inside. Thus, the brave hero managed to defeat the terrible monster.

And other feats

King Jobates, impressed by Bellerophon's bravery, gave him other missions, such as the battle with Solymus and the Amazons. The Solymoi were a warrior tribe living near Lycia and the Amazons were female warriors living in Amazonia. Bellerophon, with his bravery and the help of Pegasus, defeated both tribes in exciting battles.

Arrogance

Eventually, Jovatus recognized the value of Bellerophon and gave him his daughter as a wife. Bellerophon lived for many years happily and gloriously, but his pride led him to try to reach Olympus with Pegasus

Punishment for arrogance

Zeus, angry at Bellerophon's pride, sent a horsefly to sting Pegasus, who threw him to the ground. Thus, Bellerophon was left blind and wandered the earth until the end of his days, reminding everyone that pride can bring down even the bravest of heroes.