Discover the Legend of Pegasus in Greek Mythology

11/01/2022

     Pegasus is, in Greek and Roman Mythology, a white winged horse given by Zeus to Bellerophon to defeat the terrible Chimera, an exotic monster of this mythology, check it out.

Pegasus in Greek Mythology:

     Pegasus is a mythical winged divine horse and one of the most recognizable creatures in Greek Mythology. It is usually portrayed as pure white. Myths about him vary as Greek myths evolve and reflect the progression through successive generations of deities. In archaic Greek mythology, Pegasus is the offspring of the Gorgon Medusa, when she was described as a mare. In later myths, Pegasus was given birth by Medusa as she was dying, while being beheaded by the hero Perseus.

     In classical Greek mythology, the Olympian god Poseidon is identified as the father of Pegasus. Pegasus is Chrysaor's brother and Geryon's uncle. Pegasus was captured by the Greek hero Bellerophon near the Peirene fountain with the help of Athena and Poseidon. Pegasus allowed Bellerophon to ride him to defeat the monstrous Chimera, which led to many more exploits.

     Later, Bellerophon fell off the back of the winged horse as he tried to reach Mount Olympus, where the deities resided. After this failed attempt, Zeus turned Pegasus into the eponymous constellation.

Birth:

     In Greek Mythology, there are several versions of the birth of the Winged stallion Pegasus and his brother Chrysaor in the distant place at the edge of the Earth, the "springs of the Ocean" of Hesiod, which surrounds the inhabited land where Perseus met Medusa:

One is that they arose from the blood that came out of Medusa's neck when Perseus beheaded her, similar to the way Athena was born from Zeus' head after he swallowed his pregnant mother.

     In another version, when Perseus beheaded Medusa, the brothers were born from Earth, when the Gorgon's blood fell on her. A variation of this story claims that they were formed from the mixture of Medusa's blood, pain, and sea foam, implying that Poseidon was involved in their creation.

     The latter version bears resemblance to Hesiod's account of Aphrodite's birth from the foam created when Uranus' severed genitals were thrown overboard by Kronos.

Check: 5 Beautiful Books of Greek Mythology

Pegasus and Bellerophon:

     Pegasus helped the hero Bellerophon in his fight against the Chimera. There are several stories about how Bellerophon found Pegasus; the most common, the hero being told by Polyeidos to sleep in the temple of Athena, where the goddess visited him at night and presented him with a golden rein. The next morning, still holding the reins, Bellerophon found Pegasus drinking at Pierian's fountain, caught him, and finally tamed him.


Mount Olympus:

     After Bellerophon fell from Pegasus - while trying to reach Olympus - Pegasus and Athena left him and continued to Olympus, where he was placed in the stable with other steeds belonging to Zeus, and given the task of carrying Zeus' thunderbolts, along with other members of your entourage.

     Because of his years of faithful service to Zeus, Pegasus was later honored with being transformed into a constellation. On the day of his catasterism, when Zeus turned him into a constellation, a single feather fell to the ground near the city of Tarsus.

Check: Jupiter, the Roman Zeus

Check Now:

As for Kratos from God of War, we all already know! But what about the Cratos that really existed within Greek Mythology? Have you heard of or know their incredible story?

Roman Mythology: Are Greek and Roman Gods the Same Thing? In a simplified way, yes! With the exception of their respective Names. Check out everything about the Roman Gods below.

The Erinyes (or Furies) are, in Greek and Roman Mythology, women represented as a symbol of revenge. They are very similar to the Keres and, also, often confused, check it out.

Although Dragons are of Chinese origin, the Greeks also had their representations for the Dragon figure. We've separated for you 3 exclusive Dragons that only exist in Greek Mythology!

Jason, in Greek Mythology, is one of the most relevant Characters, so much so that, in addition to being a Hero, he is the son of Zeus, thus: a demigod. He knows more about its history, from Medea and Argonauts to the Golden Fleece.

The Griffin, in Greek Mythology, is a mystical creature with the body of a lion and an eagle's head. Unlike the Greek sphinxes (which are perverse and treacherous), Griffins are good creatures and often help demigods.

The Trojan Horse was a huge wooden horse used as a military strategy by the Greeks during the Trojan War. If in fact it existed, it was one of the greatest feats of warfare in history! Know.