Bellerophon and the Battle with Chimera
Bellerophon is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, known for his heroic exploits and tragic downfall. Born to the mortal queen Eurynomê and the god Poseidon, he becomes a skilled horseman and captures the legendary winged horse, Pegasus, with the help of a divine golden bridle. His journey takes a turn when he accidentally kills a man, leading to his banishment and a series of challenges orchestrated by King Proteus of Argos and later King Iobates of Lycia. Bellerophon is tasked with slaying the monstrous Chimera, a fire-breathing creature with the heads of a lion, goat, and snake. He succeeds in this daunting task while riding Pegasus, gaining fame and favor.
However, Bellerophon’s success fosters arrogance, prompting him to attempt to reach Mount Olympus, the home of the gods. This act of hubris leads to his downfall, as Zeus punishes him by casting him down from Pegasus. Ultimately, Bellerophon spends the remainder of his life as an outcast, reflecting the Greek themes of the relationship between mortals and gods, the consequences of pride, and the notion of divine retribution. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of overstepping one's mortal limits.
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Bellerophon and the Battle with Chimera
Author: Homer; Pindar; Hesiod
Time Period: 1 CE–500 CE
Country or Culture: Greece
Genre: Myth
PLOT SUMMARY
Born of Eurynomê, queen of Corinth, and the god Poseidon, Bellerophon is raised as the son of King Glaucus (Glaukos) and trained to become an expert horseman. As a young man, he learns of the existence of the great winged horse Pegasus (Pêgasos) and becomes determined to capture the animal. He spends a night on an altar dedicated to the goddess Athena, during which he dreams of a golden bridle capable of subduing Pegasus. Upon awakening, Bellerophon discovers the bridle in his hands. Pegasus eventually comes into the city of Corinth to drink from the fountain of Pirene (Peirênê), and the young man uses the bridle to capture and ride the horse.
In light of his success, Bellerophon approaches Pittheus, king of Troezen, to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The king agrees to the match, but Bellerophon accidentally kills a man prior to the wedding. In accordance with custom, Bellerophon is banished. He next travels to Argos and asks that city’s king, Proteus, to purify him of the crime he has committed. Proteus agrees, but after Bellerophon spurns the unwanted advances of the queen, Stheneboea, she tells her husband that their guest attempted to seduce her. This angers the king, who devises a plan to dispose of Bellerophon.
As breaking the laws of hospitality was considered an affront to the gods, Proteus pretends to remain a friend of Bellerophon, asking the young man to deliver a letter on his behalf to King Iobates of Lycia, the queen’s father. The letter describes Bellerophon’s alleged actions against Iobates’s daughter. Bellerophon flies atop Pegasus to Iobates’s kingdom and is well received by the king. However, when Iobates reads the letter, he turns against his guest just as Proteus intended. Still bound by the belief that one should not harm a guest, Iobates instead asks Bellerophon to undertake a seemingly impossible challenge. The king charges the hero with killing the Chimera (Khimaira), a vicious, fire-breathing monster with the heads of a lion, a goat, and a snake, which has killed many in the kingdom.
Out of pity for the people of Lycia, Bellerophon accepts the challenge. Flying on Pegasus and using his considerable archery skills, he succeeds in slaying the monster. Iobates next asks Bellerophon to engage Lycia’s enemy, the neighboring Solymi people. When Bellerophon easily defeats the Solymi, Iobates asks him to fight the Amazons. Bellerophon again emerges victorious, this time thanks to a flood sent by Poseidon. Having failed to kill Bellerophon indirectly, Iobates next sends his own army to defeat the young hero. When Bellerophon returns to Lycia unharmed, Iobates realizes that the young man clearly has the favor of the gods and gives Bellerophon half of his kingdom as well as the hand of his daughter, Philonoe.
Although Bellerophon becomes known as an honorable man and a beloved ruler, his success against the Chimera and his other foes makes him arrogant. Wanting to meet the gods, Bellerophon attempts to fly Pegasus to the top of Mount Olympus, where they reside. The king of all the gods, Zeus, punishes Bellerophon for this action by knocking the hero from Pegasus. Severely injured from the fall, Bellerophon is left to walk the earth alone for the rest of his life, shunned by humans and gods alike.
SIGNIFICANCE
The tale of Bellerophon illustrates the relationship between mortals and the gods in Greek mythology. Like many heroes known for performing seemingly impossible tasks, including Heracles and Perseus, Bellerophon is the son of a god and a mortal woman. This semidivine heritage gives the young hero great strength, agility, and intelligence, and it also provides him with a degree of divine support and protection. At first, he uses these attributes for adventure, relying on both his skills and divine assistance to capture Pegasus. He later uses his great strength and skill to defeat the deadly Chimera and save the people of Lycia.
As befits one who has received aid from Athena, the goddess of wisdom and honorable warfare, Bellerophon remains honorable throughout his adventures. When Stheneboea attempts to seduce him, Bellerophon refuses, obeying the customs governing the conduct of guests and keeping true to his heritage. Though he encounters deceit and wickedness, the son of Poseidon cannot be defeated so easily; the scores of men sent to kill him meet the same fate as the Chimera.
Although a respectful and honorable hero in his early years, Bellerophon eventually grows arrogant and presumptuous as a result of his success. Inspired by the blessings he has received, Bellerophon believes himself to be worthy of visiting and living among the gods. His semidivine nature does grant him the gods’ favor, but as a mortal, he is still unworthy of approaching Mount Olympus. His punishment for his presumption is harsh: he is sent back to earth to live out his days as an outcast, while the purer Pegasus, also a son of Poseidon, is granted entrance to Olympus.
Bellerophon’s fate reflects the ancient Greek concern with hubris, excessive arrogance or pride, which proves to be the downfall of humans and demigods in many myths. In particular, the theme of a mortal attempting to reach a realm belonging only to the divine recurs throughout Greek mythology, as in the myth of Icarus, who falls to his death after flying too close to the sun. In attempting to approach Mount Olympus, Bellerophon oversteps the bounds of his semidivine existence and faces the appropriate consequences. Despite being the child of a god and a hero among humans, he loses the favor of both the gods and humanity. Bellerophon spends the rest of his life walking the earth in solitude, enjoying the company of neither mortals nor immortals.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Lieberman, Erez. “Bellerophon.” Encyclopedia Mythica. Encyclopedia Mythica, 2 Jan. 2004. Web. 24 May 2013.
Parker, Janet, and Julie Stanton, eds. Mythology: Myths, Legends, and Fantasies. Cape Town: Struik, 2007. Print.
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