Here is number 4 in my series of stories about Greek heroes!
Bellerophon was a citizen of Corinth. He had committed a murder, and he could be purified of that murder. So, he went to King Proetus of Tiryns. The King purified him. The king's wife, for lack of a better phrase, "made a pass" at Bellerophon. Bellerophon rejected her, and she told her husband that Bellerophon had "made a pass" at her. King Proetus had revenge by asking Bellerophon to deliver a letter to King Iobates of Lycia. The letter said, "Dear Iobates, please do me a favor and kill the person who hands you this." He couldn't kill Bellerophon because he could not kill a guest as it would violate the rules of hospitality.
So instead, he asked Bellerophon to kill the Chimaera. The chimaera had the head of a lion, the middle like a goat, and the tail of a snake. But in some versions, like in AoM, it is the heads of these three with random body parts. He looked at past attempts to kill the Chimaera, and all the attacks were by land. And every one of them had failed. He couldn't attack by sea because the chimaera lived on land. So, he decided to attack by air. Pegasus was the only way. Pegasus was born when Perseus cut of Medusa's head. He asked for advice from the seer, Polyeidus.
Polyeidus suggested that Bellerophon should spend the night in Athena's temple. In a dream, Athena gave him a golden bridle. In the morning, Bellerophon found Pegasus at the spring of Peirene. Bellerophon put the bridle on Pegasus's head, which made him tame and rideable. So now Bellerophon thought about what he would use as a weapon. The gods suggested a lump of lead on the end of a spear. Put it in the Chimaera's mouth. When it was melted, it would cause the Chimaera heartburn. Bellerophon killed the beast in this way from the back of Pegasus.
Iobates still tried to kill Bellerophon, and sent him to a fierce neighboring tribe, to the Amazons, and sent some of his best soilders after him. Nothing worked! So Iobates gave Bellerophon half of his kingdom, and his daughter's hand in marriage.
One day, Bellerophon tried to get to Mount Olympus. Zeus was angered, and caused Pegaus to throw Bellerophon off. He fell a long way, and spent the rest of his life lame and alone, because no one dared to be friendly to him.
Next is Theseus!
Bellerophon was a citizen of Corinth. He had committed a murder, and he could be purified of that murder. So, he went to King Proetus of Tiryns. The King purified him. The king's wife, for lack of a better phrase, "made a pass" at Bellerophon. Bellerophon rejected her, and she told her husband that Bellerophon had "made a pass" at her. King Proetus had revenge by asking Bellerophon to deliver a letter to King Iobates of Lycia. The letter said, "Dear Iobates, please do me a favor and kill the person who hands you this." He couldn't kill Bellerophon because he could not kill a guest as it would violate the rules of hospitality.
So instead, he asked Bellerophon to kill the Chimaera. The chimaera had the head of a lion, the middle like a goat, and the tail of a snake. But in some versions, like in AoM, it is the heads of these three with random body parts. He looked at past attempts to kill the Chimaera, and all the attacks were by land. And every one of them had failed. He couldn't attack by sea because the chimaera lived on land. So, he decided to attack by air. Pegasus was the only way. Pegasus was born when Perseus cut of Medusa's head. He asked for advice from the seer, Polyeidus.
Polyeidus suggested that Bellerophon should spend the night in Athena's temple. In a dream, Athena gave him a golden bridle. In the morning, Bellerophon found Pegasus at the spring of Peirene. Bellerophon put the bridle on Pegasus's head, which made him tame and rideable. So now Bellerophon thought about what he would use as a weapon. The gods suggested a lump of lead on the end of a spear. Put it in the Chimaera's mouth. When it was melted, it would cause the Chimaera heartburn. Bellerophon killed the beast in this way from the back of Pegasus.
Iobates still tried to kill Bellerophon, and sent him to a fierce neighboring tribe, to the Amazons, and sent some of his best soilders after him. Nothing worked! So Iobates gave Bellerophon half of his kingdom, and his daughter's hand in marriage.
One day, Bellerophon tried to get to Mount Olympus. Zeus was angered, and caused Pegaus to throw Bellerophon off. He fell a long way, and spent the rest of his life lame and alone, because no one dared to be friendly to him.
Next is Theseus!