In Corinth lived a young prince named Bellerophon.

He was handsome! Strong! Skilled with sword and spear!

He had everything to be a great hero.

But one day, during athletic games, a tragedy happened.

Bellerophon accidentally killed a man! (Some versions say it was his own brother!)

It was an accident! But it was still murder!

"You killed!" said the authorities! "You must be exiled!"

Bellerophon fled Corinth ashamed and sad.

Bellerophon traveled to Tiryns - a city ruled by King Proetus.

"Great king," said Bellerophon, "I killed accidentally! I ask for purification and shelter!"

Proetus was kind! "Stay! You will be purified! You will be my guest!"

Proetus performed purification rituals! He cleansed Bellerophon of his guilt!

Bellerophon stayed at the palace! Everyone liked him! He was polite! Respectful!

But the queen - Proetus's wife - fell in love with Bellerophon.

Her name was Stheneboea! And she wanted Bellerophon for herself!

"Bellerophon," said Stheneboea seductively, "run away with me! Leave this kingdom! We'll be happy!"

Bellerophon was horrified.

"Queen! I am your husband's guest! I would never betray him! That would be dishonor!"

"I cannot! I will not!"

Stheneboea was furious! "You reject me?"

Bellerophon left respectfully.

But Stheneboea, angry and ashamed, went to her husband with a terrible lie.

"Proetus!" she cried! "Bellerophon tried to seduce me! Tried to force me! He wanted to betray you!"

Proetus was furious! But he faced a dilemma!

Laws of hospitality were sacred in Greece! He couldn't kill a guest!

"It would be sacrilege!" he thought! "The gods would punish me!"

"But I can't leave him unpunished if he insulted my wife!"

Proetus had a cruel idea.

"Bellerophon," he said, "I need you to deliver a message to King Iobates of Lycia!"

"He's my father-in-law! Take this sealed letter! Don't open it!"

Bellerophon, unsuspecting, accepted! "Yes, sir!"

What Bellerophon Didn't know: the letter said:

Bellerophon traveled innocently to Lycia.

He delivered the letter to King Iobates.

Iobates read... and was also trapped by the same problem.

"Proetus wants me to kill this young man! But now he's MY guest! I also can't kill him directly!"

Iobates had an idea: "I'll give him an impossible mission! He'll die trying! And I won't have broken the laws of hospitality!"

"Bellerophon," said Iobates, "my kingdom suffers! A terrible monster torments us!"

"The CHIMERA!"

Bellerophon had never heard of it! "Chimera?"

"Yes! A horrible monster! Lion's head! Goat's body! Venomous serpent's tail!"

"And BREATHES FIRE from the lion's mouth!"

"It devours flocks! Burns fields! Kills people!"

"If you kill the Chimera, you'll be generously rewarded!"

Iobates thought: "No one survives the Chimera! Problem solved!"

Bellerophon accepted! "I'll kill the Chimera!"

But then he went to Athena's temple to pray.

"Goddess of wisdom! How can I defeat a monster that breathes fire?"

"If I get close, I'll be burned! If I stay far, I can't attack!"

Bellerophon slept in the temple.

And he had a dream.

Athena appeared! "Bellerophon! You are honorable! I will help!"

"To defeat the Chimera, you need an advantage!"

"You need to attack from where it cannot reach!"

"You need PEGASUS!"

"Pegasus?" asked Bellerophon!

"The winged horse! Born from Medusa's blood when Perseus beheaded her!"

"He lives in the mountains! White as snow! Wings like an eagle!"

"But no one can tame him! He's wild! Free!"

"This magical golden bridle will tame him! Use it!"

When Bellerophon woke up, there was a shining golden bridle beside him.

"It wasn't a dream! Athena really came!"

Bellerophon climbed the mountains.

He searched for days.

Until he saw... Pegasus.

Magnificent! Muscular! Pure white! Enormous wings!

He was drinking from a crystal spring.

Bellerophon approached slowly.

Pegasus raised his head! Prepared to fly!

"Easy!" said Bellerophon softly! "I won't hurt you!"

Pegasus beat his wings! But Bellerophon was quick!

He placed the golden bridle on Pegasus.

Pegasus calmed down instantly.

The magical bridle worked.

Bellerophon mounted! Pegasus didn't resist!

"Let's fly!" said Bellerophon!

Pegasus beat his wings.

Whoooosh.

They rose! High! Higher!

Bellerophon shouted with joy! "WE'RE FLYING!"

Wind in his face! Clouds passing! The world tiny below!

It was Incredible.

Man and horse flew together! They began to understand each other! To connect!

After training, Bellerophon went to hunt the Chimera.

He flew over the burned fields.

And he saw it.

The Chimera.

Terrible! The lion's head roared! The goat's body was strong! The serpent's tail hissed!

The Chimera saw Bellerophon and Roared.

Fwoooosh.

A fireball shot from the sky.

But Pegasus dodged! Very agile in the air!

The Chimera spat more fire! More! More!

But it couldn't hit them! They were Flying!

Bellerophon grabbed his spear.

Pegasus dove.

Bellerophon threw the spear.

Thunk.

It hit the goat's body.

The Chimera roared in pain and rage!

But Bellerophon had a better idea.

He grabbed a piece of lead he had brought.

"Pegasus! One more time!"

They dove again.

When the Chimera opened its mouth to spit fire, Bellerophon threw the lead Into THE Monster's Mouth.

The Chimera's fire Melted THE Lead.

The liquid lead went down the monster's throat.

It burned from inside.

The Chimera screamed! Choked!

It tried to spit! But the lead blocked it!

It fell.

It shook.

And Died.

The impossible Chimera was dead.

Bellerophon had won.

Bellerophon returned triumphant.

"King Iobates! The Chimera is dead!"

Iobates was shocked! "Impossible! But... you're alive!"

Iobates gave other impossible missions.

Bellerophon won ALL of them with Pegasus's help.

He fought the Solymi! Won!

He fought the Amazons! Won!

Finally Iobates realized: "This man is blessed by the gods!"

"I cannot kill him! It would be sacrilege!"

Iobates showed the letter to Bellerophon! He explained everything!

Bellerophon was shocked by the betrayal! But Iobates said:

"You proved your virtue! You proved you're a hero!"

"Marry my daughter! Rule half my kingdom!"

Bellerophon accepted.

He married! Was happy! Had children!

He became famous! Respected!

It seemed he had everything.

But then... pride grew.

"I killed the Chimera! I won the impossible! I have Pegasus!"

"I am GREATER THAN MORTALS!"

Pride poisoned Bellerophon.

"If I'm so great," he thought, "I deserve to be with the GODS!"

"I'll fly to Olympus! I'll be immortal!"

It was Hubris - excessive pride.

He forgot he was mortal.

Bellerophon mounted Pegasus.

"Let's go to Olympus!" he ordered!

Pegasus hesitated! He sensed it was wrong!

But Bellerophon insisted! He forced!

They began to climb! Higher than ever! Toward Mount Olympus!

Zeus saw from Olympus.

"A mortal DARES to come here uninvited?"

"UNBEARABLE PRIDE!"

Zeus sent a small insect - a stinging fly.

The fly stung Pegasus.

Pegasus startled! Reared!

Bellerophon was thrown off.

"PEGASUUUS!" shouted Bellerophon as he fell!

He fell... fell... fell from the sky.

Bellerophon didn't die.

But the fall was terrible.

He fell into thorny bushes.

He became blind! Crippled! Injured!

Pegasus flew free! He went to Olympus alone! He became Zeus's horse!

Bellerophon spent the rest of his life wandering alone.

Blind! Rejected! Abandoned!

The great hero who killed the Chimera ended up miserable.

Because of Pride.