Gods,Heroes,Myths Greek Mythology Homer's epics,Expeditions

He was a great hero, the son of the king of Corinth Glafkos and Eurymede. Others say his mother was Eurynome and his father Poseidon. His oldest reference is in the Iliad, where his grandson, Glaucus of Lycia, tells the story of Bellerophon. When he killed his brother by mistake, and for this reason he was exiled to the court of the king of Argos, Proetus. But the wife of Proetus, named Anteia or Stheneboea, passionately fell in love with Bellerophon. But because the hero did not want to betray the confidence of Proetus, he did not respond to her feelings. That made her so angry that she slandered him to her husband, that Bellerophon wanted to abuse her. The king was very angry, but he did not want to kill him. So he thought and sent him to his father-in-law, Iobates, the king of Lycia, with a sealed letter, where he demanded his death.

Iobates welcomed his guest with a festive, rich meal that lasted nine days. On the tenth day he opened and read the Letter of Proetus, but hesitated to kill his guest, which would cause the wrath of the gods. Iobates , in order to cause the death of Bellerophon, imposed on him a series of feats. First he sent him and to kill Chimaera, a horrific monster with a lion's head, a trunk and a goat's head and a tail snake. He then forced him to exterminate the wild race of Solimons. The legend says that the battle that followed was the fiercest ever taken place, with Bellerophon being victorious.

Finally Bellerophon successfully fought the Amazons. He also succeeded in killing the toughest warriors of Lycia, when they tried to trap by him under the command of Iobates. The King, having seen his achievements, recognized him as a descendant of the gods, and gave him as a wife his daughter Philonoe and half his kingdom.

Another legend says that in his adventures Bellerophon was accompanied by the winged horse, Pegasus. Some say that Pegasus was a child of Poseidon with Medusa, and a water source in Corinth was intended by Poseidon for Pegasus to drink water. One day Bellerophon saw the wonderful animal drink water and decided to tame it. That would not be feasible if Athina did not help him, as she gave Bellerophon a golden bridle. With the magical bridle, the Bellerophon immediately tamed Pegasus and rode him for the rest of his adventures.

In one of his works, Euripides says that Bellerophon wanted to climb Mount Olympus, riding on his miraculous horse, Pegasus. But the gods felt offended, and Zeus threw a thunderbolt and killed him. Pegasus threw his rider to the ground and returned to Mount Olympus. Thus, Bellerophon had the same fate as the other heroes who had the arrogance and ambition to approach the gods, Icarus and Phaethon.

In one version, Bellerophon survived the fall from Pegasus, and he stayed lame in a mysterious plain where he wandered for ever alone .