Bellerophon

Bellerophon was the son of Glaucus, King of Corinth. But after killing a man, he fled to Proetus, King of Tiryns. However the king's wife Anteia fell in love with Bellerophon, and when he rejected her advances she claimed that he had tried to seduce her. Her husband did not want to kill a man who was his guest and risk the anger of the gods. So he sent Bellerophon to his father in law, Iobates, King of Lycia, with a letter saying that the king should have him put to death.

Iobates was also reluctant to kill a guest. So he set Bellerophon tasks that he though no man could survive. The king sent him to kill the Chimæra, which had been ravaging Lycia. The Chimæra was a fire breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a serpent, said to be the offspring of Echidne and Typhon.

Bellerophon was told the best way to kill the Chimæra was by shooting it with an arrow while riding Pegasus, the winged horse sprung from Medusa. He found the horse at the fountain of Pirene in Corinth and using a golden bridle given to him by Athene, easily rode the horse and killed the Chimæra.

Iobates then sent Bellerophon against the Amazons, and again the young man came back victorious. Iobates then set up an ambush of guards, but Bellerophon killed them all. The king was at last convinced that there had been a mistake, he showed Bellerophon the letter and discovered the truth. He gave Bellerophon his daughter in marriage and made him his heir.