This sixth-century BC winged horse, standing some 5 inches tall, was made to decorate some kind of tool. It was made in northwestern Greece, and is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
AFTER Bellerophon spurned the advances of Anteia, Queen of Tyrins, she had the handsome hero banished to Lycia. With him went a coded letter to the King, Iobates, who just happened to be Anteia’s father, recommending that Bellerophon be put to death.
Iobates thought this could be accomplished without fuss if Bellerophon were sent to tackle the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster with a lion’s head, a serpent’s tail, and a goat’s body. But Bellerophon sought out Athene, and the goddess lent him Pegasus, the magnificent winged stallion sired by Poseidon. With his help, Bellerophon was able to slay the Chimera.
Intoxicated by his victory and his winged mount, Bellerophon rose ever higher, until Zeus realised that he meant to fly to Olympus. So the king of the gods sent a gadfly, and a tormented Pegasus threw his rider far below to earth.
Bellerophon spent the rest of his days wandering in regret, but Zeus kept Pegasus on Olympus, to carry his thunderbolts.*
HMS Bellerophon was one of England’s greatest warships, which saw action at The Glorious First of June in 1794, and was with Horatio Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It was aboard Bellerophon that Wellington accepted Napoleon Bonaparte’s surrender following The Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Précis
Bellerophon was sent on a hopeless errand to slay the Chimera, a fire-breathing composite of lion, goat and serpent, and with the help of a winged horse, Pegasus, he accomplished his mission. However, he now thought himself worthy of a place on Olympus, so Zeus made Pegasus throw his rider before he could reach the abode of the gods. (59 / 60 words)
