When Perseus cut off Medusa's head, the blood sinking into the
earth produced the winged horse Pegasus. Minerva caught and tamed him and
presented him to the Muses. The fountain Hippocrene, on the
Muses' mountain Helicon, was opened by a kick from his hoof.
The Chimaera was a fearful monster, breathing fire. The fore part
of its body was a compound of the lion and the goat, and the hind part a
dragon's. It made great havoc in Lycia, so that the king, Iobates, sought
for some hero to destroy it. At that time there arrived at his court a
gallant young warrior, whose name was Bellerophon. He brought letters
from Proetus, the son-in-law of Iobates, recommending Bellerophon in the
warmest terms as an unconquerable hero, but added at the close a request
to his father-in-law to put him to death. The reason was that Proetus
was jealous of him, suspecting that his wife Antea looked with too much
admiration on the young warrior. From this instance of Bellerophon being
unconsciously the bearer of his own death warrant, the expression
"Bellerophontic letters" arose, to describe any species of communication
which a person is made the bearer of, containing matter prejudicial to
himself.
Iobates, on perusing the letters, was
puzzled what to do, not willing to violate the claims of hospitality,
yet wishing to oblige his son-in-law. A lucky thought occurred to him, to
send Bellerophon to combat with the Chimaera. Bellerophon accepted the
proposal, but before proceeding to the combat consulted the soothsayer
Polyidus, who advised him to procure if possible the horse Pegasus for the
conflict. For this purpose he directed him to pass the night in the
temple of Minerva. He did so, and as he slept Minerva came to him and
gave him a golden bridle. When he awoke the bridle remained in his hand.
Minerva also showed him Pegasus drinking at the well of Pirene, and at
sight of the bridle, the winged steed came willingly and suffered himself
to be taken. Bellerophon mounted him, rose with him into the air, soon
found the Chimaera, and gained an easy victory over the monster.
After the conquest of the Chimaera
Bellerophon was exposed to further trials and labours by his unfriendly
host, but by the aid of Pegasus he triumphed in them all, til at length
Iobates, seeing that the hero was a special favourite of the gods, gave
him his daughter in marriage and made him his successor on the throne. At
last Bellerophon by his pride and presumption drew upon himself the
anger of the gods; it is said he even attempted to fly up into heaven on
his winged steed, but Jupiter sent a gadfly which stung Pegasus and made
him throw his rider, who became lame and blind in consequence. After
this Bellerophon wandered lonely through the Aleian field, avoiding the
paths of men, and died miserably.
Shakespeare alludes to Pegasus in
"Henry IV," where Vernon describes Prince Henry:
"I saw young Harry, with his beaver on,/ His cuishes on his
thighs, gallantly armed,/
Rise from the ground like feathered Mercury,/ And vaulted with such ease
into his seat,/ As if an angel dropped down from the clouds,/ To turn and
wind a fiery Pegasus,/ And witch the world with noble horsemanship."
Thomas Bulfinch
Chapter XVI.Monsters