A tale of a Greek Hero who won the hearts of many, but ultimately lost everything to an inflated ego.
Perhaps slightly lesser known than other heroes in Greek Mythology, Bellerophon succeeded in taming Pegasus, the winged horse, as well was slaying the infamous Chimera, a three-headed beast.
Achieving His Goal
Bellerophon’s biological father was Poseidon, but his mother, Eurynome and her husband, Glaucus, raised him. Obsessed with riding Pegasus, Bellerophon made numerous attempts to obtain his objective, but failed every time. After taking the advice of the seer, Polyeidus, Bellerophon spent the night at the Temple of Athena. There he dreamt of receiving a magical golden bridle and when he awoke, he found that his dream had become reality. Equipped with his new gift, Bellerophon sought out Pegasus once again and this time was successful.
Wrongfully Accused
Unfortunately Bellerophon's triumph was short lived when he accidentally committed murder. Some versions of this tale, state that Bellerophon killed his own brother, but the exact identity of the slain man is unknown. Bellerophon sought out King Proetus to be purified of his crime and was granted his request. While staying with the king, Bellerophon received several advances from the king’s wife, Stheneboea, and refused to satisfy her. Deflated, Stheneboea accused Bellerophon of trying to seduce her. Outraged by this, King Proteus wanted to dispose of Bellerophon for good. Killing a houseguest, however, was a great offence to the gods.
Finding a Solution
Not keen on angering the gods, King Proteus sent Bellerophon, along with a sealed note explaining the situation, to King Iobates of Lycia to deal with the problem at hand. Unaware of the nature of the visit, King Iobates made Bellerophon his houseguest before reading King Proteus’s note and was therefore bound by the same dilemma. Forced to resolve the issue, King Iobates asked Bellerophon to perform a series of dangerous tasks, in the hopes that he would fail and thus lose his life. Fortunately, being the biological son of a god, as well as having Pegasus at his disposal, gave Bellerophon an advantage.
Ego Defeats the Hero
Bellerophon succeeded in killing the Chimera, the first task, and went on to defeat the Solymi tribe and the Amazons. Rethinking his dislike for this brave hero, King Iobates rewarded his champion with half of his kingdom and his daughter’s hand in marriage. Bellerophon became famous and adored by his kingdom. However, his newly acquired adoration resulted in an inflated ego. Feeling that his achievements deemed him worthy, Bellerophon rode Pegasus to Mount Olympus to visit the gods. Infuriated by Bellerophon’s assumption to fly to the home of the gods, Zeus stung Pegasus with a fly, causing Bellerophon to fall to the ground, rendering him crippled. Bellerophon had offended the gods and ended up spending the rest of his life in solitude.
