The legend of Bellerophon begins not in the rugged lands of Lycia, but in the affluent city-state of Corinth. Born as the son of King Glaucus and the grandson of the cunning Sisyphus, Bellerophon was a young man of extraordinary beauty and courage. However, his life took a dark turn when he accidentally killed a man—some accounts say his own brother. Seeking purification for his soul and a reprieve from the blood-guilt that followed him, he fled to the court of King Proetus of Tiryns. Proetus received him with the traditional hospitality of the age, but trouble soon followed in the form of the King's wife, Queen Stheneboea. Enamored by the young hero's grace and strength, the Queen attempted to seduce him. When Bellerophon, a man of high honor, rejected her advances, the Queen’s love turned to a bitter, vengeful hatred. She falsely accused Bellerophon of attempting to violate her, sparking a rage in King Proetus that threatened the hero's life.
King Proetus was caught in a divine dilemma. Ancient laws of hospitality, known as xenia, strictly forbade a host from killing a guest who had eaten at his table. To do so would invite the wrath of Zeus, the protector of travelers. Craftily, Proetus decided to send Bellerophon away to the court of his father-in-law, King Iobates of Lycia. He handed Bellerophon a sealed tablet containing 'Bellerophontic letters'—secret signs that instructed Iobates to put the bearer to death. Unaware of the contents of the message, Bellerophon traveled across the sea to Lycia. Upon his arrival, King Iobates welcomed him with a nine-day festival. It was only on the tenth day that the King opened the letter. Like Proetus, Iobates feared the Furies should he murder a guest, so he devised a plan to send Bellerophon on a mission so perilous that no mortal could possibly survive. He commanded the hero to slay the Chimera, a monstrous creature that had been laying waste to the Lycian countryside.
The Chimera was a nightmare made flesh. According to the ancient poets, it was of divine origin but possessed a form that defied nature. It had the front of a lion, the middle of a goat, and the tail of a venomous serpent or dragon. Most terrifying of all was its ability to breathe forth a torrent of inescapable, blazing fire. The beast lived in the crags of the Lycian mountains, specifically around the area now known as Mount Chimaera, where natural gas fires still burn today. To face such a monster on foot was certain death, as the heat of its breath would incinerate any warrior long before they could strike a blow. Desperate for guidance, Bellerophon consulted the wise seer Polyidus. The seer told him that to defeat the Chimera, he would need the help of Pegasus, the immortal winged horse that had been born from the blood of the Medusa when Perseus struck off her head.
Pegasus was a wild and free creature, belonging to no man and roaming the high heavens. Polyidus advised Bellerophon to spend a night in the temple of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. As Bellerophon slept upon the cold stone floor of the sanctuary, Athena appeared to him in a dream. She handed him a magnificent bridle made of gold and told him it was the only tool capable of taming the celestial steed. When Bellerophon woke, the golden bridle was resting in his hands. Following the seer's directions, he traveled to the Fountain of Peirene in Corinth, where Pegasus was known to drink. Using the goddess's gift, Bellerophon approached the horse. Instead of fleeing, the majestic animal seemed to recognize the divine craftsmanship of the bridle and allowed the hero to mount him. For the first time in history, a mortal took to the skies on the back of a winged horse, feeling the rush of the wind and the vastness of the world below.
With Pegasus as his ally, Bellerophon flew back to Lycia to confront the Chimera. From high above, he could see the scorched earth and the blackened ruins of villages that marked the monster's territory. The Chimera, sensing an intruder, emerged from its lair, its three heads roaring in a discordant chorus of ferocity. It unleashed a column of fire that reached toward the sky, but Pegasus was too swift, banking and diving through the air with a grace that no earthly creature could match. Bellerophon realized that his arrows, while striking true, were not enough to pierce the thick, magical hide of the beast. He conceived of a brilliant and dangerous strategy. He took a heavy block of lead and fixed it to the tip of his spear. Diving toward the monster’s gaping lion-head, he thrust the spear deep into the creature's throat just as it prepared to exhale another blast of flame.
The intense heat of the Chimera's own breath instantly melted the lead. The molten metal flowed down the monster's gullet, searing its internal organs and suffocating it from within. The great beast, which had terrorized the land for generations, collapsed and died, its fires extinguished by the very heat it produced. Bellerophon returned to King Iobates, expecting a hero's welcome. However, the King, still bound by his promise to Proetus, sent the hero on further impossible tasks. He was ordered to fight the warlike Solymi and the fierce Amazons. With the help of Pegasus, Bellerophon triumphed in every battle, raining down stones and arrows from the safety of the clouds. Finally, realizing that Bellerophon was protected by the gods, Iobates relented. He showed the hero the treacherous letter, gave him his daughter Philonoe in marriage, and named him heir to the Lycian throne.