The Divine Origins of Pegasus

The story begins in the ancient city-state of Corinth during the reign of King Glaucus, son of Sisyphus. One day, a miraculous event occurred: a magnificent winged horse, white as snow, appeared on the acropolis of Corinth. This was no ordinary steed—it was Pegasus, born from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa after her slaying by the hero Perseus with Athena’s aid.

Pegasus, emerging in the far west, soon spread its vast wings and soared across land and sea before descending upon Corinth. Thirsty from its journey, the horse searched for water but found none—except for a sacred spring within the acropolis. With a powerful strike of its hoof against the rocky ground, Pegasus caused a fresh spring, later named Pirene, to burst forth. The Corinthians, awestruck, named the creature Pegasus, meaning “the one who brings forth springs.”

Bellerophon’s Quest to Tame the Winged Steed

The first to witness this divine horse was Bellerophon, the king’s son. Desperate to claim Pegasus, he pursued the creature for three days, but the winged horse remained elusive—allowing proximity but never submission. Frustrated, Bellerophon sought the counsel of a wise seer, who instructed him to sleep in Athena’s temple.

That night, the goddess appeared to him in a dream, clad in gleaming armor, and bestowed upon him a golden bridle—a divine tool to tame Pegasus. Following her instructions, Bellerophon sacrificed a bull to Poseidon, dedicated the horse to the sea god, and then successfully harnessed Pegasus. With Athena’s blessing, he mounted the winged steed, becoming the first mortal to ride a horse rather than merely yoke it to a chariot. In gratitude, the Corinthians erected a temple to Athena Hippia, “Athena of the Bridle.”

Exile and Treachery in Argos

Tragedy soon struck when Bellerophon accidentally killed his brother during a hunt. Bound by Corinthian law, he was exiled for eight years. Riding Pegasus, he fled to Argos, where King Proetus welcomed him warmly. However, the queen, Stheneboea, became infatuated with the young hero. When Bellerophon rejected her advances, she falsely accused him of assault.

Unwilling to violate the sacred laws of hospitality by killing Bellerophon himself, Proetus devised a cunning plan. He sent the hero to his father-in-law, King Iobates of Lycia, bearing a sealed letter that secretly demanded his execution.

The Trials of Bellerophon in Lycia

Upon reading the letter, Iobates hesitated—Bellerophon’s noble bearing and divine steed suggested he was favored by the gods. Instead of outright execution, the king set him an impossible task: slay the Chimera, a monstrous hybrid of lion, goat, and serpent that breathed fire.

Mounted on Pegasus, Bellerophon soared above the beast, raining arrows upon it until the Chimera fell. Victorious, he returned to Lycia, only to be sent on further deadly missions—first against the Amazons, then the Solymi warriors. Each time, he triumphed. Recognizing divine favor, Iobates abandoned his murderous intent, marrying Bellerophon to his daughter and eventually naming him heir to the Lycian throne.

The Fall of a Hero: Hubris and Divine Wrath

For years, Bellerophon ruled wisely, fathering three sons. But prosperity bred arrogance. He declared his intent to ride Pegasus to Olympus itself, seeking to dwell among the gods. Zeus, enraged by this blasphemy, sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus mid-flight. The horse bucked violently, casting Bellerophon down onto the desolate Aleian Plain—a cursed wasteland of salt marshes.

Stripped of his glory, Bellerophon wandered in madness until death, a stark reminder of the gods’ wrath against mortal pride. Meanwhile, Pegasus ascended to Olympus, where it remained in Zeus’s stables, forever beyond human reach.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

The myth of Bellerophon and Pegasus endures as a cautionary tale about ambition, betrayal, and the perils of hubris. Pegasus became a symbol of poetic inspiration and divine favor, later adopted by the Muses. Bellerophon’s tragic arc—from triumphant hero to broken exile—echoes in later myths like that of Icarus, reinforcing the ancient Greek belief in the dangers of overreaching.

Art and literature have immortalized their story, from classical vase paintings to Romantic-era artworks like Ivanov’s Bellerophon Setting Out to Kill the Fire-Breathing Chimera. Even today, Pegasus remains an emblem of imagination and unattainable dreams, while Bellerophon’s fall serves as a timeless warning against the folly of defying the divine order.

In the end, the myth transcends its origins, offering a meditation on the fragile boundary between human aspiration and the will of the gods.