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Bellerophon (;
Bellerophon's brave journey began in the familiar way, with an exile: he had murdered either his brother, whose name was usually given as Deliades, Peiren or even Alcimenes, or killed a shadowy "enemy", a "Belleros" or "Belleron", a ruler of the Corinthians (though the details are never directly told), and in expiation of his crime arrived as a suppliant to Proetus (king of Argos and Tiryns)">Proetus
In Greek mythology, Proetus (; Ancient Greek: Προῖτος ''Proitos'') may refer to the following personages:
*Proetus, king of Argos and Tiryns, son of Abas and twin brother of Acrisius.
*Proetus, a prince of Corinth as the son of Prince T ...
, king in Tiryns, one of the Mycenaean strongholds of the Regions of ancient Greece#Argolis, Argolid. Proetus, by virtue of his kingship, cleansed Bellerophon of his crime. The wife of the king, whether named
Polyeidos told Bellerophon that he would have need of
When Bellerophon arrived in Lycia to face the ferocious
As Bellerophon's fame grew, so did his arrogance. Bellerophon felt that because of his victory over the Chimera, he deserved to fly to
Warburg Institute Iconographic Database
{{Authority control Greek mythological heroes Princes in Greek mythology Kings in Greek mythology Children of Poseidon Demigods in classical mythology Boeotian characters in Greek mythology Characters in Greek mythology Boeotian mythology Corinthian mythology Lycia Mythology of Argolis Deeds of Zeus Pegasus
Bellerophon (; 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 ...
: Βελλεροφῶν) or Bellerophontes (), born as Hipponous In Greek mythology, Hipponous (Ancient Greek: Ἱππόνοος) referred to several people:
*Hipponous, the Olenian father of Capaneus and Periboea by Astynome. He was son of Iocles, grandson of Astacus and great-grandson of Hermes and Astabe, ...
, was a hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
of Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside Cadmus
In Greek mythology, Cadmus (; grc-gre, Κάδμος, Kádmos) was the legendary Phoenician founder of Boeotian Thebes. He was the first Greek hero and, alongside Perseus and Bellerophon, the greatest hero and slayer of monsters before the da ...
and Perseus
In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...
, before the days of Heracles
Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive ...
", and his greatest feat was killing the Chimera
Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to:
* Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals
* Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...
, a monster that Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail: "her breath came out in terrible blasts of burning flame."
Bellerophon was also known for capturing the winged horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
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 ...
with the help of Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
’s charmed bridle, and earning the disfavour of the gods after attempting to ride Pegasus to 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 ...
to join them.
Etymology
One possible etymology that has been suggested is: Βελλεροφόντης (Bellerophóntēs) from Ancient Greek βέλεμνον (bélemnon), βελόνη (belóne), βέλος (bélos, "projectile, dart, javelin, needle, arrow") and -φόντης (-phóntēs, "slayer") from φονεύω (phoneúō, "to slay"). However,Geoffrey Kirk
Geoffrey Stephen Kirk, () was a British classicist who served as the 35th Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge. He published widely on pre-Socratic philosophy and the work of the Greek poet Homer, culminating in a six-volu ...
says that "Βελλεροφόντης means 'slayer of Belleros.Kirk 1990, p. 178 He must have been named so after slaying an original enemy named Belleros, but there is no trace left of this ancient foe; nevertheless it must have been there from the beginning in order for Bellerophon to gain his universally-accepted name, much as Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...
got his 'Argeiphontes' epithet after slaying Argus Panoptes
Argus or Argos Panoptes ( grc, Ἄργος Πανόπτης, All-seeing Argos) is a many-eyed giant in Greek mythology.
Mythology
Argus Panoptes (), guardian of the heifer-nymph Io and son of Arestor and probably Mycene (in other version so ...
. Belleros could have been a Lycian, a local daimon
Daimon or Daemon (Ancient Greek: , "god", "godlike", "power", "fate") originally referred to a lesser deity or guiding spirit such as the daimons of ancient Greek religion and mythology and of later Hellenistic religion and philosophy.
The word ...
or a Corinthian nobleman—Bellerophon's name "clearly invited all sorts of speculation".
Family
Bellerophon was the son of the mortalEurynome
Eurynomê (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυνόμη, from , ''eurys'', "broad" and , ''nomos'', "pasture" or "law") is a name that refers to the following characters in Greek mythology:
*Eurynome, pre-Olympian queen and wife of Ophion
* Eurynome (Ocean ...
(Eurymede In Greek mythology, Eurymēdē (Ancient Greek: Εὐρυμήδη or Εὐρυμέδη, ''Eurumēdē,'' "lady with wide-ranging thoughts"'')'' may refer to the following characters:
* Eurymēdē, mother by Glaucus of Bellerophon and possibly Deliade ...
) by either her husband, Glaucus
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, ...
, or Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
. He was the brother of Deliades Alcimenes (, grc, Ἀλκιμένης) can refer to a number of people in Greek mythology and history:
''Mythology''
*Alcimenes, a Boeotian prince as the son of King Glaucus of Potniae and possibly, Eurymede or Eurynome, daughter of King Nisus of ...
(also named Peiren or Alcimenes Alcimenes (, grc, Ἀλκιμένης) can refer to a number of people in Greek mythology and history:
''Mythology''
*Alcimenes, a Boeotian prince as the son of King Glaucus of Potniae and possibly, Eurymede or Eurynome, daughter of King Nisus o ...
).
Bellerophon was the father of Isander
In Greek mythology, Isander or Isandrus (Ancient Greek: Ἴσανδρόν means "like a man") or Peisander, was a Lycian prince and the son of King Bellerophon.
Family
Isander's mother was Philonoe, daughter of the King Iobates. In some accoun ...
(Peisander
Peisander (; el, Πείσανδρος) of Camirus in Rhodes, Ancient Greek epic poet, supposed to have flourished about 640 BC.
Biography
Peisander was the author of a ''Heracleia'' (Ἡράκλεια), in which he introduced a new conception of ...
),Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
, ''Geographica
The ''Geographica'' (Ancient Greek: Γεωγραφικά ''Geōgraphiká''), or ''Geography'', is an encyclopedia of geographical knowledge, consisting of 17 'books', written in Ancient Greek, Greek and attributed to Strabo, an educated citizen ...
'' 12.8.5 & 13.4.16 Hippolochus, and Laodamia
In Greek mythology, the name Laodamia (Ancient Greek: Λαοδάμεια ''Laodámeia'') referred to:
* Laodamia (or Hippodamia), a Lycian princess as the daughter of Bellerophon and Philonoe, daughter of King Iobates. Her mother was also known A ...
( Deidamia or Hippodamia
Hippodamia (, ; also Hippodamea and Hippodameia; Ancient Greek: Ἱπποδάμεια "she who masters horses" derived from ''hippos'' "horse" and ''damazein'' "to tame") was a Greek mythological figure. She was the queen of Pisa as the wife ...
) by Philonoe
In Greek mythology, there were two women known as Philonoe ( grc, Φιλονόη) or Phylonoe ():
*Philonoe, a Spartan princess as the daughter of King Tyndareus and Leda, daughter of King Thestius of Pleuron. She was the sister of Castor and Po ...
, daughter of King Iobates
In Greek mythology, Iobates or Jobates (Ancient Greek: Ἰοβάτης) was a Lycian king, the father of Antea and Philonoe. He was sometimes named Amphianax.Pierre Grimal : ''A Concise Dictionary of Classical Mythology'', s.v. "Stheneboea"
...
of Lycia
Lycia (Lycian language, Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean ...
. Philonoe was also known under several other names: Alkimedousa, Anticleia
In Greek mythology, Anticlea or Anticlia (; Ancient Greek: ''Ἀντίκλεια'', literally "without fame") was a queen of Homer's Ithaca, Ithaca as the wife of King Laertes, Laërtes.
Family
Anticlea was the daughter of Autolycus and Amphith ...
, Pasandra or Cassandra
Cassandra or Kassandra (; Ancient Greek: Κασσάνδρα, , also , and sometimes referred to as Alexandra) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecies but never to be believe ...
. In some accounts, Bellerophon also fathered Hydissos
Hydissus or Hydissos ( grc, Ὑδισσός), Hydisus or Hydisos (Ὑδισός), or Hydissa (Ὕδισσα) was a town of ancient Caria, situated east of Mylassa. Hydissus was a ''polis
''Polis'' (, ; grc-gre, πόλις, ), plural ''pole ...
by Asteria, daughter of Hydeus.
Mythology
The ''Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
'' vi.155–203 contained an embedded narrative
A story within a story, also referred to as an embedded narrative, is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story (within the first one). Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes c ...
told by Bellerophon's grandson Glaucus
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, ...
(who was named after his great-grandfather), which recounted Bellerophon's myth. Bellerophon's father was Glaucus, who was the King of Potniae Potniae or Potniai ( grc, Πότνιαι) was a village of ancient Boeotia, on the road from Thebes to Plataea, distant 10 stadia from the former city. It was in ruins in the time of Pausanias (2nd century), and contained a grove sacred to Demeter ...
and son of Sisyphus
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus or Sisyphos (; Ancient Greek: Σίσυφος ''Sísyphos'') was the founder and king of Ancient Corinth, Ephyra (now known as Corinth). Hades punished him for cheating death twice by forcing him to roll an immense bo ...
. Bellerophon's grandsons Sarpedon
Sarpedon (; grc, Σαρπηδών) is the name of several figures in Greek mythology
* Sarpedon, a son of Zeus, who fought on the side of Troy in the Trojan War. Although in the ''Iliad'', he was the son of Zeus and Laodamia, the daughter of Bell ...
and the younger Glaucus fought in the Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...
. In Stephanus of Byzantium
Stephanus or Stephan of Byzantium ( la, Stephanus Byzantinus; grc-gre, Στέφανος Βυζάντιος, ''Stéphanos Byzántios''; centuryAD), was a Byzantine grammarian and the author of an important geographical dictionary entitled ''Ethni ...
’s ''Ethnica'', a genealogy was given for Chrysaor
In Greek mythology, Chrysaor ( el, Χρυσάωρ, ''Chrysáor'', ''gen''.: Χρυσάορος, ''Chrysáoros''; English translation: "he who has a golden sword" rom χρυσός, "golden" and ἄορ, "sword", was the brother of the winged ho ...
("of the golden sword") that would make him a double of Bellerophon; he was called the son of Glaucus (son of Sisyphus). Chrysaor has no myth save that of his birth: from the severed neck of Medusa
In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
, who was with child by Poseidon, he and 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 ...
both sprang at the moment of her death. "From this moment we hear no more of Chrysaor, the rest of the tale concerning the stallion only... Pirene">Pirene_(nymph).html" ;"title="ho visited the spring of Pirene (nymph)">Pireneperhaps also for his brother's sake, by whom in the end he let himself be caught, the immortal horse by his mortal brother."
Exile in Argos
Bellerophon's brave journey began in the familiar way, with an exile: he had murdered either his brother, whose name was usually given as Deliades, Peiren or even Alcimenes, or killed a shadowy "enemy", a "Belleros" or "Belleron", a ruler of the Corinthians (though the details are never directly told), and in expiation of his crime arrived as a suppliant to Proetus (king of Argos and Tiryns)">Proetus
In Greek mythology, Proetus (; Ancient Greek: Προῖτος ''Proitos'') may refer to the following personages:
*Proetus, king of Argos and Tiryns, son of Abas and twin brother of Acrisius.
*Proetus, a prince of Corinth as the son of Prince T ...Anteia
In Greek mythology, Stheneboea (; Ancient Greek: Σθενέβοια ''Sthenéboia''; the "strong cow" or "strong through cattle") was the daughter of Iobates, king in Lycia. She was the consort of Proetus, joint-king in the Argolid with Acrisius, ...
or Stheneboea
In Greek mythology, Stheneboea (; Ancient Greek: Σθενέβοια ''Sthenéboia''; the "strong cow" or "strong through cattle") was the daughter of Iobates, king in Lycia. She was the consort of Proetus, joint-king in the Argolid with Acrisius, ...
, took a fancy to him, but when he rejected her, she accused Bellerophon of attempting to ravish her. Proetus dared not satisfy his anger by killing a guest (who is protected by '' xenia''), so he sent Bellerophon to King Iobates his father-in-law, in the plain of the River Xanthus Xanthus (; grc, Ξάνθος, ''Xanthos'', "yellow, blond") or Xanthos may refer to:
In Greek mythology
*Xanthos (King of Thebes), the son of Ptolemy, killed by Andropompus or Melanthus
*Xanthus (mythology), several figures, including gods, men, ...
in Lycia
Lycia (Lycian language, Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean ...
, bearing a sealed message in a folded tablet, a letter which read: "Pray remove the bearer from this world: he attempted to violate my wife, your daughter." Before opening the tablets, Iobates feasted with Bellerophon for nine days. On reading the tablet's message Iobates too feared the wrath of the Erinyes
The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes ...
if he murdered a guest; so he sent Bellerophon on a mission that he deemed impossible: to kill the Chimera
Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to:
* Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals
* Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...
, living in neighboring Caria
Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionians, Ionian and Dorians, Dorian Greeks colonized the west of i ...
. The Chimera was a fire-breathing monster consisting of the body of a goat, the head of a lion and the tail of a serpent. This monster had terrorized the nearby countryside. On his way he encountered the famous Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
ian seer Polyeidos
In Greek mythology, Polyidus ( grc, Πολύειδος ''Polúeidos'', "seeing many things"; also Polyeidus), son of Coeranus, was a famous seer from Corinth.
Family
Polyidus was a descendant of another renowned seer, Melampus. Given that Mela ...
, who gave him advice about his oncoming battle.
Capturing Pegasus
Polyeidos told Bellerophon that he would have need of 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 ...
. To obtain the services of the untamed winged horse, Polyeidos told Bellerophon to sleep in the temple of Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
. While Bellerophon slept, he dreamed that Athena set a golden bridle beside him, saying "Sleepest thou, prince of the house of Aiolos? Come, take this charm for the steed and show it to the Tamer thy father as thou makest sacrifice to him of a white bull." It was there when he awoke. Bellerophon had to approach Pegasus while it drank from a well; Polyeidos told him which well —the never-failing Pirene on the citadel of Corinth, the city of Bellerophon's birth. Other accounts say that Athena brought Pegasus already tamed and bridled, or that Poseidon the horse-tamer, secretly the father of Bellerophon, brought Pegasus, as Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
*Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
*Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...
understood. Bellerophon mounted his steed and flew off to where the Chimera was said to dwell.
The Slaying of the Chimera
When Bellerophon arrived in Lycia to face the ferocious Chimera
Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to:
* Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals
* Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...
, he could not harm the monster even while riding Pegasus. He felt the Chimera's hot breath and was struck with an idea. He got a large block of lead and mounted it on his spear. He then flew head-on towards the Chimera, holding out the spear as far as he could. Before breaking off his attack, he lodged the block of lead inside the Chimera's throat. The beast's fire-breath melted the lead, which blocked its air passage, suffocating it. Bellerophon returned victorious to King Iobates. On Bellerophon's return, however, the king was unwilling to believe his story. A series of daunting quest
A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. The word serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of ever ...
s ensued: Bellerophon was sent against the warlike Solymi and then against the Amazons
In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, ...
, who fought like men, whom Bellerophon vanquished by dropping boulders from his winged horse. When he was sent against a Carian pirate, Cheirmarrhus, an ambush failed when Bellerophon killed everyone sent to assassinate him. The palace guards then were sent against him, but Bellerophon called upon Poseidon, who flooded the plain of Xanthus Xanthus (; grc, Ξάνθος, ''Xanthos'', "yellow, blond") or Xanthos may refer to:
In Greek mythology
*Xanthos (King of Thebes), the son of Ptolemy, killed by Andropompus or Melanthus
*Xanthus (mythology), several figures, including gods, men, ...
behind Bellerophon as he approached. To defend themselves, the palace women rushed from the gates with their robes lifted high to expose themselves. Unwilling to confront them while they were undressed, Bellerophon withdrew. Iobates relented, produced the letter, and allowed Bellerophon to marry his daughter Philonoe, the younger sister of Anteia
In Greek mythology, Stheneboea (; Ancient Greek: Σθενέβοια ''Sthenéboia''; the "strong cow" or "strong through cattle") was the daughter of Iobates, king in Lycia. She was the consort of Proetus, joint-king in the Argolid with Acrisius, ...
, and shared with him half his kingdom, with its fine vineyards and grain fields. The lady Philonoe bore him Isander (Peisander), Hippolochus and Laodamia, who lay with Zeus the Counselor and bore Sarpedon
Sarpedon (; grc, Σαρπηδών) is the name of several figures in Greek mythology
* Sarpedon, a son of Zeus, who fought on the side of Troy in the Trojan War. Although in the ''Iliad'', he was the son of Zeus and Laodamia, the daughter of Bell ...
, but was slain by Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
.
Flight to Olympus and fall
As Bellerophon's fame grew, so did his arrogance. Bellerophon felt that because of his victory over the Chimera, he deserved to fly to 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 ...
, the home of the gods. That act of hubris
Hubris (; ), or less frequently hybris (), describes a personality quality of extreme or excessive pride or dangerous overconfidence, often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance. The term ''arrogance'' comes from the Latin ', mean ...
angered Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D ...
and he sent a gadfly
Gadfly most commonly refers to:
* Horse-fly or Botfly
* Gadfly (philosophy and social science), a person who upsets the status quo
Gadfly may also refer to:
Entertainment
* ''The Gadfly'', an 1897 novel by Ethel Lilian Voynich
** ''The Gadfly'' ...
to sting Pegasus, causing Bellerophon to fall back to Earth. Pegasus completed the flight to Olympus where Zeus used him as a pack horse for his thunderbolts. On the Plain of Aleion ("Wandering") in Cilicia
Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...
, Bellerophon, who had been blinded after falling into a thorn bush, lived out his life in misery, "devouring his own soul", until he died.
Euripides' ''Bellerophon''
Enough fragments ofEuripides
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 ...
' lost tragedy, ''Bellerophon'', remain as about thirty quotations in surviving texts, giving scholars a basis for assessing its theme: the tragic outcome of his attempt to storm Olympus on Pegasus. An outspoken passage—in which Bellerophon seems to doubt the gods' existence, due to the contrast between the wicked and impious, who live lives of ease, with the suffering of the good—is apparently the basis for Aristophanes
Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme
In Ancient Greece, a deme or ( grc, δῆμος, plural: demoi, δημοι) was a suburb or a subdivision of Athens and other city-states ...
' imputation of "atheism
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...
" to the poet.
Perseus on Pegasus
The replacement of Bellerophon by the more familiarculture hero
A culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group ( cultural, ethnic, religious, etc.) who changes the world through invention or discovery. Although many culture heroes help with the creation of the world, most culture heroes are imp ...
Perseus
In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...
was a development of Classical times that was standardized during the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
and has been adopted by the European poets of the Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
and later.
Footnotes
References
Further reading
* Graves, Robert, 1960. ''The Greek Myths'', revised edition (Harmondsworth: Penguin) *Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, ''Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
'', book vi.155–203
* Kerenyi, Karl, 1959. ''The Heroes of the Greeks'' (London: Thames and Hudson)
* Kirk, G. S., 1990. ''The Iliad: A Commentary Volume II: books 5-8.'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
External links
* Images of Bellerophon in thWarburg Institute Iconographic Database
{{Authority control Greek mythological heroes Princes in Greek mythology Kings in Greek mythology Children of Poseidon Demigods in classical mythology Boeotian characters in Greek mythology Characters in Greek mythology Boeotian mythology Corinthian mythology Lycia Mythology of Argolis Deeds of Zeus Pegasus