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The Myth of Bellerophon and The Folly of Hubris
The man who tamed Pegasus
Almost everyone is familiar with the symbol of Pegasus. From business branding to video game characters, the figure of a winged horse is incredibly common. However, only some people are familiar with the man who tamed Pegasus. Only one man could bring Pegasus to heel for an extended period of time, and that man was Bellerophon.
Like many Greek heroes, Bellerophon has a complicated and tragic history. He rose from relative obscurity (well, as obscure as you can be as the son of a major god) to the highest of highs before returning to Earth once more.
The Greeks used the tale of Bellerophon to warn against the dangers of hubris and rising too far above your station.
Exile and Name
Bellerophon’s story begins in exile in the city of Argos. One rendition of the tale says that Bellerophon killed a nobleman by the name of Belleron, which is where our hero got his name. (He accidentally killed the man by throwing knives with his buddies.) In the wake of the manslaughter, Bellerophon was sent to Argos. However, his problems did not end there.
Proteus, the king of Argos, wanted Bellerophon dead, so he tasked another king, King Iobates, to kill him. Iobates did not want to kill a guest in his…
