Bellerophon
The Corinthian hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slew the Chimera, but fell from heaven when he tried to reach Olympus.
The Legend of Bellerophon
Bellerophon was a prince of Corinth who, after accidentally killing a kinsman, sought purification from King Proetus of Tiryns. Proetus's wife Stheneboea (or Anteia) desired him; when he refused, she falsely accused him. Proetus sent Bellerophon to his father-in-law Iobates in Lycia with a sealed letter requesting his execution. Rather than kill a guest, Iobates assigned impossible tasks. First: slay the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail. Athena helped Bellerophon capture Pegasus using a golden bridle while the horse drank at the spring Peirene. Riding Pegasus, he killed the Chimera by thrusting a lead-tipped lance into its throat — the fire melted the lead, which choked the beast. He then defeated the Solymoi warriors and the Amazons. Iobates, recognising divine favour, gave him his daughter and half his kingdom. But Bellerophon's story ends in hubris: he tried to fly Pegasus to Olympus itself. Zeus sent a gadfly that stung Pegasus, and the hero fell to earth, wandering blind and lame until death.
Fun Fact
Bellerophon killed the Chimera by melting lead in its fiery throat — one of the cleverest kills in Greek mythology.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Bellerophon and Pegasus
🗡 herohubris, fall
The hero who tamed Pegasus and slew the Chimera but was destroyed by his own hubris when he tried to fly to Olympus.
Bellerophon
🗡 heroTamer of Pegasus, slayer of the Chimera
The hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and used him to slay the monstrous Chimera. His story is a cautionary tale about hubris.
Theseus
🗡 heroheroism
Athenian prince who entered the Cretan Labyrinth, killed the Minotaur with Ariadne's help, then abandoned her on Naxos.
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, aided by Medea's sorcery.
Anchises
🗡 heroLove, royalty, Troy
Trojan prince beloved by Aphrodite and father of Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome
Sarpédon
🗡 heroSon of Zeus who died at Troy
Sarpedon was a son of Zeus and the greatest Lycian warrior at Troy — his death forced Zeus to confront the limits of even divine power.
Perseus
🗡 heroHero who slew Medusa
The son of Zeus and Danae who beheaded Medusa, rescued Andromeda, and founded the Perseid dynasty of Mycenae.
Tydeus
🗡 heroThe ferocious warrior who forfeited immortality
A hero of savage courage who fought as one of the Seven Against Thebes but lost Athena's gift of immortality in his final moment.
Pegasus
🐉 creatureFlight, heroism
Winged divine horse born from the blood of Medusa who carried Bellerophon against the Chimaera
Cadmus
🗡 heroFounder of Thebes
Cadmus was the Phoenician prince who founded Thebes, sowed dragon's teeth, and brought the alphabet from Phoenicia to Greece.
Glaucus of Corinth
🗡 heroHorses, Hybris, Divine Punishment
Corinthian king and charioteer who fed his mares on human flesh; they devoured him during the funeral games of Pelias.
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts, seeker of the Golden Fleece
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis in quest of the Golden Fleece. Jason's story is one of ambition, adventure, and tragic betrayal.