Information AboutBellerophon |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BELLEROPHON | |
| greek mythology | |
| lycia | |
| mythological kings | |
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Bellerophon ("bearing darts") was a Hero from Greek Mythology whose greatest feat was to kill the Chimera , a monster usually depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. He is also said to be the grandson of Sisyphus , a notable character in Mythology who was sent to Tartarus for doing many evil things in life. He was the son of King Glaucus of Corinth . Bellerophon's journey begins when he is accused of trying to seduce the wife of King Proteus . He is sent into exile to the land of King Iobates of Lycia . Proteus wanted Iobates to kill Bellerophon, but Iobates feared the wrath of the gods if he murdered a guest; so he sent Bellerophon on a mission that Iobates deemed impossible: to kill the fire-breathing monster the Chimera. An alternate version of the beginning of the quest is that Bellerophon wandered into Proteus, who grew intensely jealous of him. Proteus was the son-in-law of Iobates , King of Lycia , and sent Bellerophon to him with a sealed message that asked him to kill Bellerophon; this is the origin of the expression a "bellerophonic letter". Lycia at the time was in the middle of a horrific plague and Iobates didn't want to strain the population with a war, which would surely be the result if he murdered Bellerophon. Instead, he sent him on an impossible quest: to kill the Chimera. The goddess Athena , realizing Bellerophon would surely die if he undertook this task alone, sent him aid in the form of the winged horse, Pegasus . Alternatively, Bellerophon sought out the wisest man in Lycia, Polyidus , who told him about Pegasus. To obtain the services of the winged horse, Polyidus told Bellerophon to sleep in the temple of Athena. While Bellerophon slept, he dreamed of Athena setting a golden bridle down beside him; it was there when he awoke. Bellerophon had to sneak up on Pegasus while it drank from a well (Polyidus told him which well -- Pirene on the Acrocotinth ). Bellerophon mounted his steed and flew off to where the Chimera was said to dwell. When he arrived, the Chimera was truly ferocious, and he could not harm the monster even while riding on Pegasus. He felt the heat of the breath the Chimera expelled, and was struck with an idea. He got a large block of lead and mounted it on his spear. He then flew head-on towards the Chimera, holding out the spear as far as he could. Before he broke off his attack, he managed to lodge the block of lead inside the Chimera's throat. The beast's fire-breath melted the lead, and blocked its air passage. The Chimera suffocated, and Bellerophon returned to King Iobates victoriously. Iobates was unable to believe that this valiant hero deserved death, and so he allowed Bellerophon to marry his daughter. Alternatively, Iobates' daughter, Antea , loved Bellerophon. He scorned her and she committed suicide. Iobates' other daughter, Philonoe , had an affair with Bellerophon. However, as Bellerophon's fame grew, so did his ego. Bellerophon felt that he deserved to be a God because of his victory over the Chimera. He attempted to fly to Mount Olympus, the realm of the gods. However, this angered Zeus and he sent a fly to sting the horse causing Bellerophon to fall all the way back to Earth where he lived out his life as a cripple. Bellerophon was also said to be the father of Laodamia by an unknown woman. Bellerophon in popular culture The Baroque Opera ''Il Bellerofonte'' of the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček derives its name from Bellerophon. A is named Bellerophon. It is also the name of a space craft in the classic 1956 science fiction movie, , and the name of a planet on Firefly (TV Series) . This mythical character's name is also used by the Japanese game/anime: Fate/Stay Night . Bellerophon is the name of one of the character's special attack, which takes form of Pegasus . Ironically, this character's real name is Medusa . English ship of the line which fought many naval battles against Napoleon. Was built in 1782 and dismantled in 1836. Known as 'Billy Ruffian' by its crew it fought at the Battle of the Nile (1798) and Trafalgar (1805). The rise of the British Empire at this period could be reflected in the greek myths surrounding the original Bellerophon and his egotistical rise and fall from power. |
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