Bellerophon

Bellerophon (Βελλεροφόντης) was the son of Glaucus, king of Ephyra (Corinth), and Eurynome or Eurymede, the daughter of Nisus. His name was Hipponous at birth. But in the Catalogues of Women, Zeus cursed Glaucus that the king would never have a child of his own. So it was Poseidon who made his wife pregnant, not Glaucus. Therefore, Bellerophon was really the son of Poseidon.

When Bellerophon killed his brother Deliades, or else Bellerus, tyrant of Ephyra, whom he was named after, he was exiled. He came to Tiryns where he was welcomed into court of Proëtus (Proetus).

Stheneboea, wife of Proëtus, fell in love with the youth and tried to seduce Bellerophon. When Bellerophon rejected her advance, the enraged queen secretly went to her husband and falsely accused the youth of trying to violate her. Fearing to anger the gods by killing a guest and suppliant, Proëtus decided to send Bellerophon to his father-in-law Iobates, king of Lycia, with a message to kill the youth.

Fortunately, when Bellerophon arrived in Lycia, Iobates, father of Stheneboea, also greeted and received him as a guest before he read Proëtus' letter. Iobates also could not kill his young guest, but decided later to send Bellerophon upon a dangerous errand.

A monster known as the Chimaera, one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, was ravaging the countryside. The body of the Chimaera was part lion, part goat, and with the tail of a snake. The monster could also breathe fire. Iobates asked the youth to kill the monster, hoping instead that Bellerophon would be killed. Bellerophon agreed with the king's request.

The gods aided him in his quest by sending the winged horse Pegasus (Πήγασος) to him. He received the golden bridle from the goddess Athena. On Pegasus' back, he flew to the countryside and killed Chimaera with his arrows, safely out of range of the fire-breathing monster.

Still determined to have the young hero killed, Iobates sent the hero against first the Solymi, and later the Amazons. But on both missions, Bellerophon successfully defeated Lycia's enemies.

Realising that the gods must favour the young hero such that he became very popular amongst the Lycians for his heroic deeds, Iobates married his other daughter Philonoë to Bellerophon, as well as offered half of his kingdom to him.

Stheneboea, having heard the news that Bellerophon married her sister, killed herself in despair.

Though no one gave an account about his death, his downfall came when he arrogantly decided to fly to Mount Olympus, home of the gods. For this presumption, Zeus sent a gadfly that stung Pegasus, which threw him off the beast's back. Bellerophon fell to earth and became lame from his fall. Bellerophon then lost popularity with the Lycians who drove him out of the country.