BellerophontesBellerophon

In The Iliad, Homer tells the tale of Bellerophontes in a battlefield dialogue between the Greek hero, Diomedes, and the Trojan ally, Glaukos (Glaucus).

Glaukos was the grandson of Bellerophontes and the namesake of Bellerophontes’ father; Bellerophontes was blessed by the Immortals with beauty and manly stature but, while he was in the city of Argos, he offended the king’s wife, Anteia, when he refused her seductive advances; Anteia lied and told Proetus, her husband and the king of Argos, that Bellerophontes had tried to force himself on her; Proetus was furious but was too scrupulous to kill Bellerophontes; he sent Bellerophontes from Argos with a message to the ruler of Lykia (Lycia); the message said simply, Kill this messenger.

For nine days, the lord of Lykia entertained Bellerophontes; on the tenth day after Bellerophontes’ arrival he read the message and devised a plan for killing Bellerophontes without having to murder him; he sent Bellerophontes to kill a fire breathing she-beast called the Khimera (Chimera); Bellerophontes, with the flying horse, Pegasos (Pegasus), killed the Khimera.

The lord of Lykia then sent Bellerophontes to fight the Solymoi who Bellerophontes said were the most fierce fighters he had ever faced; Bellerophontes defeated the Solymoi and returned to Lykia.

Next the lord of Lykia sent Bellerophontes to slaughter the Amazons; upon his return from the slaughter of the Amazons, Bellerophontes was ambushed by the bravest fighters in Lykia; Bellerophontes killed all the soldiers that were sent against him and when he returned to Lykia, the lord was so impressed by this strong and god-like man that he gave up his desire to kill Bellerophontes and offered him his daughter in marriage.

The children of Bellerophontes were: Isandros, Laodameia and Hippolokhos (Hippolochos); Hippolokhos was the mother of the Trojan warrior, Glaukos; Bellerophontes lost the favor of the Immortals and spent his last days as a wanderer; later versions of this story say that Anteia was named Stheneboea and the lord of Lykia was named Iobates.

• Theogony, line 225
• Iliad, book 6, lines 150+