Bellerophon
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Bellerophon slaying the
Chimera
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Bellerophon is a grandson of
Sisyphus, and came
originally from Ephyra (later called
Corinth). Having
accidentally killed his brother, Bellerophon came
to King Proetus 1 and was purified, but at the same
time he became this king's subject.
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Quarrel between twins
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Proetus 1 and Acrisius were twin brothers and
quarrelled with each other while they were still in
the womb. Acrisius gained mastery and drove Proetus
1 from Argos. However,
once Proetus 1 was in exile, his father-in-law,
King Iobates of Lycia (on the southern coast of
Asia Minor), restored him to his own land with an
army of Lycians, and he occupied
Tiryns. The Argive
territory was then divided between them, and
Acrisius reigned over
Argos and Proetus 1 over
Tiryns. Acrisius is
father of Danae, mother of
Perseus 1, who in turn
is the founder of
Mycenae.
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False accusation
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When Bellerophon was living in the kingdom of
Proetus 1, the king's wife Stheneboea (or Antia, as
some call her) fell in love with him, and sent him
proposals for a meeting; and when he rejected them,
she told Proetus 1 that Bellerophon had sent her a
vicious proposal.
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Bellerophon leaves the kingdom
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Proetus 1 believed her, and gave him a letter to
take to Iobates, king of Lycia, in which it was
written that he was to kill Bellerophon. Having
read the letter, Iobates ordered him to kill the
Chimera, believing that he would be destroyed by
the beast.
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The Chimera
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The Chimera, offspring of Typhon and Echidna,
was a monster which had fore part of a lion, the
tail of a dragon, and its third and middle head
that belched fire was that of a goat. The Chimera
was reared by Amisodarus. This creature devastated
the country and harried the cattle because it had
the power of three beasts.
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Bellerophon fighting the
Chimera
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Bellerophon tested
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Bellerophon mounted his winged horse Pegasus
[read about Pegasus in
Medusa 1] and shot down
the Chimera from the height. Then King Iobates
ordered him to fight, first the Solymi, and next
the AMAZONS. And when
also agains them he was victorious, Iobates bade
the bravest of the Lycians to lay an ambush and
slay him. But when Bellerophon had killed them
also, Iobates, feeling that Bellerophon enjoyed the
protection of the gods, showed him the letter and
begged him to stay with him. Moreover, he gave him
his daughter; and when King Ioabates died, he
bequeathed to Bellerophon the kingdom of Lycia.
Stheneboea committed suicide out of jealousy when
she heard that Bellerophon had married Philonoe.
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Bellerophon's fate
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But Bellerophon incurred the enmity of the gods,
and was punished by them to wander in solitude
across the Aleian Plain (in Cilicia, the mainland
in front of Cyprus), avoiding contact with men. It
is said that Pegasus threw him when Bellerophon
attempted to reach Heaven, mounting the winged
horse.
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Descendants of Bellerophon
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The grandson of Bellerophon, Glaucus 3, was one
of the Lycians who defended
Troy against the Achaean
invaders. He exchanged armours with
Diomedes 2, and was
later killed by Ajax 1. At
the time of the Trojan
War, the king of Lycia was Sarpedon 1, son of
Zeus by
Europa according to some,
or by Laodamia 1, daughter of Bellerophon,
according to others. To Sarpedon 1
Zeus granted life for three
generations, but he was killed at
Troy by
Patroclus 1.
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Family
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Parentage [two versions]
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Mates
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Offspring
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Notes
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Glaucus 1 & Eurymede 1
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Poseidon
& Eurynome 6
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Glaucus 1, who was killed by horses in
a contest, is the son of
Sisyphus.
Glaucus 1 had another son Deliades (also
called Piren 2 or Alcimenes 1), who was
accidentally killed by his brother
Bellerophon. Eurymede 1 is otherwise
unknown.
Eurynome 6 is one of the daughter os
King Nisus 1 of
Megara.
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Philonoe
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Laodamia 1
Isander
Hippolochus 1
Deidamia 2
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Philonoe is daughter of Iobates, king of Lycia
and also called Iobas.
Isander (also called Pisander 6) was slain by
Ares as he fought against
the Solymi, a Lycian tribe.
Hippolochus 1 is father of Glaucus 3, the leader
of the Lycians who exchanged his golden armour for
that of Diomedes 2,
which was made of bronze. Glaucus 3 was killed by
Ajax 1 at
Troy.
Deidamia 2 married Evander 3, son of King
Sarpedon 1 of Lycia and the leader who fell
defending Troy killed by
Patroclus 1. Sarpedon
1 was son either of Zeus
and Europa, or of
Zeus and Laodamia 1.
Evander 3 and Deidamia 2 had a son Sarpedon 3, who
might have been the one who fought at
Troy, although others say
it was Sarpedon 1 (who fought at
Troy).
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Abolengo
Album - High Resolution Genealogical Charts
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Names in this table
Aeolus 1, Antiphates
4, Atlas,
Bellerophon, Deidamia 2, Deimachus 1,
Deucalion 1, Enarete,
Eurymede 1, Evander 3, Glaucus 1, Glaucus 3, Hellen
1, Hippolochus 1, Iobates, Iphianassa 3, Iphinoe 1,
Isander, Laodamia 1, Lysippe 2, Megapenthes 2,
Merope 1, Orseis, Philonoe, Pleione, Proetus 1,
Pyrrha 1, Sarpedon 1, Sarpedon 3,
Sisyphus, Stheneboea,
Zeus.
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Sources
Abbreviations
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Apd.1.9.3, 2.3.1-2, 3.1.1;
Dio.5.79.3; Hes.CWE.7; Hes.The.319; Hom.Il.6.98,
6.179; Hyg.Ast.2.18, 2.21; Hyg.Fab.57, 157, 243;
Pin.Oly.13.84.
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