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BELEROPHON AND PEGASUS

In Ephyre, the city later called Corinth, the King was name Glaucus. He was the son of Sisyphus who in Hades must forever try to roll a stone uphill because he once betrayed Zeus by telling one of Zeus's secrets. Glaucus, though a great horseman, was a displeasure of heaven. He fed his horses human flesh to make them fierce in battle. These terrible deeds always angered the gods. He, in the end, wound up being the flesh his horses ate. In the city, a bold and beutiful young man named Bellerophon was generally held to be Glaucus's son. However, it was rumored that Bellerophon had a mightier father, Poseiden himself, the Ruler of the Seas, and the young mans surpassing gifts of spirit and body made this account of birth seem very likely. Moreover, his mother, Eurynome, although a mortal, was taught by Athena until in wit and in wisdom, she was the peer of the gods. But, more than anything on earth, Bellerophon wanted Pegasus, a marvelous horse which sprung from the Gorgons blood when Perseus killed her. But who could catch such a creature? Bellerophon suffered from hopeless longing. The wiser seer of Ephyre (Corinth), Polydus, to whom he told his desperate desire, advised him to go to Athena's temple and sleep there. Bellerophon went to this holy place in hopes the gods would speek to him like they have spoke to otheres in there dreams. Bellerophon slept beside the altar and seemed to see the goddess standing beside him holding some golden thing in her hand. She said to him, "Asleep? Nay, wake. Here is what will charm the steed you covet." Bellerophon sprang to his feet, but no goddess was there. But a marvelous object lay before him, a bridle all of gold. Such has never been seen before. At last hopeful, he ran out to the fields in hope to find Pegasus. He caught sight of him drinking from the famed spring of Corinth, Pirene; and he drew gently near. The horse looked at him tranquilly, neither startled nor afraid, and suffered himself to be bridled by Bellerophon with the least bit of trouble. Athena's charm had worked. Bellerophon was master of this magnificent, glorious creature. In his full suit of bronze armor, Bellerophon leaped upon the back of pegasus, and put him through his paces. Now, Bellerophon was lord of the air, flying wherever he pleased, being the envy of all. Unknown how, Bellerophon killed his own brother, and went to Argos, where the King, Proetus, purified him. There, his trials began, and his great deeds as well. Anteia, the wife of Proetus, fell in love with Bellerophon, and when he turned from her and would have nothing to do with her, in her bitter rage, she told her husband that Bellerophon, there guest, had wronged her and he must die. Enraged as he was, Proetus could not harm him. Bellerophon had eaten at the king's table, and was a guest. He could not bring himself to kill him. However, he made a plan which was certain to have the same result. He sent Bellerophon to take a letter to the King of Lycia in Asia, and Bellerophon easily agreed. The long journey meant nothing to Pegasus. The Lycian King recieved him with antique hosptallity and entertained him splendidly for nine days before he asked to see the letter. Than he read that Proetus wanted the young man killed. He did not care to do so, for the same reason that made Proetus unwilling: Zeus's well known hostility to those who broke the bond between host and guest. There could be no objection, however, to sending the stranger on an adventure, him and his winged horse. So, the king of Lycia asked Bellerophon to go and slay Chimaera, feeling quite assured with himself that Bellerophon would not come back. The Chimaera was held to be unconquerable. She was a most singular portent, a lion in front, a serpent behind, a goat in between. But Bellerophon riding Pegasus, there was no need for him to get anywhere Chimaera. He simply would fly over her and shoot her with arrows with no chance of harm to himself. When he went back to Proetus, the latter had to think of other ways to dispose of Bellerophon. He had Bellerophon go on an expedition, against the Solymi, mighty warriors; and when Bellerophon had succeeded in conquering these, on another against the Amazons, where he did equally well. Finally, Proetus was won over by his courage and good fortune. They became friends, and Bellerophon was given to Proetus's daughter for marriage. He lived a happy life for quite a while, but than he made the gods agry. Bellerophon thought things that no mere mortal should think. He thought he could fly on top of Mount Olympus. He believed he could take his place there with the immortals. Pegasus, being the wiser of the two, did not dare fly to Mount Olymus, and threw Bellerophon from his back. After that, Bellerophon, hated by the gods, wandered around alone, devouring his own soul and avoiding the paths of men until he died. Pegasus found shelter in the heavenly stalls of Olympus where the steeds of Zeus were cared for. Of them all, he was foremost, as was proved by the extraordinary fact the poets report, that when Zeus wished to use his thunderbolt, it was Pegasus who brought the thunder and lightning to Zeus.

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by:TJ------based on the story by:Edith Hamilton

Site Created by:TJ Rowe