beLLerophon

Greek Son of the Corinthian king Glaucus (2); grandson of Sisyphus. In one story, Bellerophon, a very handsome young man loved by many women, is sent on a seemingly impossible mission to kill the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a serpent's tail. The seer Polyeidus advises the young hero to capture the winged horse, Pegasus. Bellerophon succeeds, with the help of the goddess Athene, who gives him a golden bridle. Pegasus and Bellerophon kill the monster. Bellerophon and his fabulous horse have many adventures, but the young man makes a mistake when he decides to ride Pegasus up to Olympus, the home of the gods. Stung by a gadfly sent by Zeus, Pegasus throws his rider and Bellerophon falls to Earth. He spends the rest of his life as a cripple and an outcast.