''Bellerophon'' ( grc, Βελλεροφῶν, ''Bellerophōn'') is an

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

written by

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

, based upon the myth of

Bellerophon Bellerophon (; Ancient Greek: Βελλεροφῶν) or Bellerophontes (), born as Hipponous, was a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", and his ...

. Most of the play was lost by the end of the Antiquity, and only 90 verses, grouped into 29 fragments, currently survive.

Plot

Given the fragmentary state of this tragedy, the plot remains open to conjecture. Most modern critics nevertheless agree on the following storyline. The play apparently began with

riding his horse

Pegasus Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...

carried in the air by the crane. Bellerophon, who seems to have lost everything, lives on an uncultivated land with his father

Glaucos In Greek mythology, Glaucus (; grc, Γλαῦκος, Glaûkos, glimmering) was a Greek prophetic sea-god, born mortal and turned immortal upon eating a magical herb. It was believed that he came to the rescue of sailors and fishermen in storms, ...

and

. Deeply pessimistic about his condition, Bellerophon eventually believes the gods do not exist. He subsequently decides to reach

Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...

, thanks to Pegasus's flying abilities. The motives of such an ascent have remained unclear. Regardless, Pegasus falls with his rider and the wounded Bellerophon is brought to the stage. Having repented for his blasphemous behaviour, Bellerophon dies.

References

Translations

* Euripide, ''Tragédies'', vol. 8, 2e part. ''Fragments. De Bellérophon à Protésilas''; Greek text and French translation by François Jouan and Herman Van Looy; Paris, Les Belles Lettres, 2000, 2002, 2003.

Studies

* N. Wecklein, ''Tragödien des Euripides'': ''Bellerophontes'', 98-109, ''SBAW'', 1888 * A. Caputi ''Euripide e le sue tragedie sul mito di Bellerofonte'', 509-515, ''RAL'', 1909 * M. Pohlenz, ''Die Grichische Tragödie'', I pages 290-293 and II 123-124, Göttingen, 1954 * Z. V. Vykozy, ''De Euripidis Bellerophonte'', pages 137-145, ''ZJFK'', 1963. This Czech essay was translated into German in ''BCO'', 358, 1964. * A. Carlini, ''Due note euripidee'', 201-205, ''SCO'', 1965 * P. Rau, ''Paratragœdia'', 89-91, Munich, 1967 * Lamberto Di Gregorio, ''Il Bellerofonte di Euripide. I. Dati per una ricostruzione; II. Tentativa di ricostruzione'', 195-214 and 365-382, ''CCC'', 1983 * Christoph Riedweg, ''The "atheistic" fragment from Euripides "Bellerophontes"'', 39-53, ''ICS'', 1990 * Mariarita Paterlini, ''Note al ''Bellerofonte'' euripideo'', 513-523, ''Sileno'', 1990. {{Authority control Plays by Euripides Lost plays Plays based on classical mythology