Pegasus
1600x1300mm
oil on canvas
2026
First mentioned:
Hesiod's Theogony, ca. 730–700 BCE
The Story of Bellerophon and Pegasus
Pegasus, the magnificent winged horse, was born from the blood of Medusa after Perseus cut off her head.
Bellerophon was a courageous Greek hero who accidentally killed his own brother and was forced into exile. Seeking purification and refuge, he went to King Proetus, where the king’s wife, Queen Stheneboea, became captivated by Bellerophon and attempted to seduce him. When he rejected her advances, she became furious and falsely accused him of trying to harm her. Proetus believed her, but because the laws of hospitality prevented him from killing his guest directly, he sent Bellerophon to King Iobates of Lycia with a secret message ordering him to put Bellerophon to death.
Instead, Iobates gave Bellerophon a seemingly impossible task: to slay the terrifying Chimera, a fire-breathing monster with the body of a lion, a goat’s head rising from its back, and a serpent for a tail. With the help of the goddess Athena, Bellerophon obtained Pegasus and rode the winged horse into battle. Flying above the Chimera, he attacked from the air and ultimately defeated the beast.
Victorious, Bellerophon became increasingly proud and believed himself worthy of joining the gods on Mount Olympus. He attempted to fly there on Pegasus, but Zeus punished him for his arrogance. Bellerophon fell from the sky, while Pegasus continued upward and was eventually placed among the stars as the constellation Pegasus.
