The Story of Bellerophon
Bellerophon was a hero from Corinth, the grandson of Sisyphus and the son of King Glaucus, though in some tellings his father was Poseidon. After accidentally killing a man, he had to leave Corinth. He went to Tiryns, where King Proetus welcomed him and purified him.
The wife of Proetus fell in love with the handsome young guest, but Bellerophon rejected her advances. Out of spite, she told her husband that Bellerophon had tried to seduce her. Proetus did not want to break the sacred law of hospitality by killing a guest, so he sent Bellerophon to Iobates, king of Lycia, with a sealed letter asking him to kill the bearer.
Bellerophon had long wanted to ride Pegasus, the winged horse that sprang from the neck of Medusa. On the advice of a seer, he slept in Athena's temple, and the goddess appeared to him in a dream with a golden bridle. When he awoke, the bridle was in his hand, and he found Pegasus drinking at the spring of Peirene and slipped it over the horse's head.
Iobates did not want to kill a guest either, so he sent Bellerophon to fight the Chimera, a fire breathing monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and a serpent for a tail. Bellerophon flew above it on Pegasus and shot it with arrows. In later tellings he finished it by thrusting a spear tipped with lead into its mouth, where the monster's fiery breath melted the lead and killed it.
Iobates then sent him against the fierce Solymi and the Amazons, and Bellerophon defeated them all. Finally the king set an ambush of his best warriors, and Bellerophon killed every one. Realizing that the gods must be protecting him, Iobates showed him the letter, gave him his daughter in marriage and shared his kingdom with him.
Success made Bellerophon proud, and he tried to fly Pegasus up to Mount Olympus to join the gods. Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse, and Pegasus threw Bellerophon back to earth. He spent the rest of his life wandering alone, lame and hated by the gods, while Pegasus was welcomed on Olympus and carried the thunderbolts of Zeus.
Homer tells Bellerophon's story in the Iliad through his grandson Glaucus, who fought for Troy. Corinth honored Bellerophon as a hero, and Pegasus appeared on the city's coins for centuries. His story was a lasting warning that even the greatest heroes must not try to rise to the level of the gods.
Famous Myths About Bellerophon
A False Accusation
While a guest of King Proetus, Bellerophon rejected the advances of the queen, who then falsely accused him. Proetus sent him to the king of Lycia carrying a sealed letter that secretly asked for the bearer to be killed.
Taming Pegasus
Bellerophon longed to ride the winged horse Pegasus. Athena gave him a golden bridle in a dream, and when he awoke holding it, he found Pegasus drinking at a spring and slipped the bridle over its head.
Slaying the Chimera
The Lycian king sent Bellerophon against the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster that was part lion, part goat, and part serpent. Flying above it on Pegasus, he shot it with arrows, and in one telling he jammed a lump of lead into its jaws that melted in its fiery breath.
The Fall from the Sky
Proud of his victories, Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus up to Mount Olympus. Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse, and Bellerophon was thrown back to earth, where he wandered alone for the rest of his days.
Bellerophon's Family Tree
Parents of Bellerophon
Partners of Bellerophon
Children of Bellerophon
Frequently Asked Questions About Bellerophon
Who was Bellerophon in Greek mythology?
Bellerophon was a hero of Corinth best known for taming the winged horse Pegasus and killing the Chimera.
How did Bellerophon tame Pegasus?
Athena gave Bellerophon a golden bridle, and with it he caught Pegasus as the horse drank at the Peirene spring in Corinth.
How did Bellerophon kill the Chimera?
Riding Pegasus, Bellerophon attacked the Chimera from the air, out of reach of its fiery breath. In some versions he pushed a lump of lead into its mouth on his spear, and the melting metal killed it.
What happened to Bellerophon?
Bellerophon grew proud and tried to fly Pegasus up to Mount Olympus. Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse, and Bellerophon fell to earth and spent the rest of his life lame and wandering alone.
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