In Search of Greek Heroes: Bellerophon

Welcome to the new series I have decided to dedicate my blog to this summer, In Search of Greek Heroes, where I search for the facts and myths behind the greatest Heroes of ancient Greek religion. Today we are looking for the magnificent Bellerophon.

Also known as Bellerophontes, His name means either Wielder of Missiles or Slayer of Belleros. If the latter, it means that this name was given to Him later in life. Therefore, the question would then be, what was His original name? It has been suggested to have been Hipponous. However, this name was also given to other figures in ancient Greek history. It appears to have been a general title for certain kinds of men. If Bellerophon was not His original name, we may never actually know what it was. His birth and death dates remain unknown, but is believed to have lived before Herakles, who, according to some, lived around 1303 to 1259 BCE, which means Bellerophon predates the Trojan War. Writings of Him go as far back as Hesiod and Homer, who lived during the Archaic Age, around 750 to 650 BCE.

According to His story, Bellerophon was the Prince of Korinth (a City that, in Bellerophon's life, was actually called Ephyre), born to Poseidon and the mortal woman Eurynome, who was queen and wife of the King Glaukos. Growing into a man of superb strength, ability and beauty, He was admired by the people of the City, but when He accidentally killed His brother, He was exiled to find a way to purify Himself of the killing, as would have been ancient Greek custom. Murder, and we are lead to believe here, even manslaughter, was considered to be among the worst of pollutants upon a human being, and in order for them to be a blessing to the City or be in the presence of the Gods again, they would have to be purified of the pollution. 

In Argos, He found a man who could and would purify Him, King Proetus. Being restored to good standing as He was, His hard times were just beginning. The king's wife wanted to sleep with Bellerophon, but the Hero refused her, being of such honor to not offend or wrong the man who had given Him such wonderful hospitality and assistance. However, the wife became enraged at the rejection, and falsely accused Bellerophon of raping or attempting to rape her. She demanded that her husband execute Him, but the king did not want the pollution. So he sent Bellerophon to the King of Lycia in Asia Minor with a note saying to kill the young Hero. The King of Lycia also refused for the same reasons. However, The Lycian king thought of a way around the offense. He sent Bellerophon to kill an infamous beast that had been ravaging the countryside, a horrid creature known as the Chimera, half lion, snake and goat.

Athena gave Bellerophon a golden rein by which He could tame the winged horse of the Gods, Pegasos, and use him to destroy the monster. Upon the back of Pegasos, the Chimera was unable to strike Bellerophon in any way. There are conflicting accounts as to how Bellerophon killed the beast. One says He shot it to death with arrows. Another that He placed a clump of lead onto the end of a spear and rammed it down the throat of the fire breathing monster. When it melted, she died. And finally, that He used the lance to stab her to death.

He then returned to Proetus, who was not finished devising ways to kill Him. He sent the Hero on a campaign against the mighty Amazon women whom He also defeated. Nothing the king tried could conquer the young man, and he concluded that He must truly be loved by the Gods. Proetus gave Bellerophon his daughter in marriage. But during His life among mortals, He began to think of Himself as a God, and wanted to fly to Olympos on Pegasos. The horse, however, threw Him off and He crashed back down to Earth. We are told He lived out the rest of His life with His injuries.

Finding Bellerophon isn't an easy task, as traces of Him are not anywhere near as readily available as people such as Alexander for instance. 

One of the most compelling things is the Tomb of Bellerophon that still stands today in Lycia, which is a rock-cut temple tomb near Tlos, an ancient citadel in southern Turkey. This tomb was discovered empty. However, the porch has a relief of Bellerophon slaying the Chimera that can still be seen today. The tomb and those around it are not easily accessible, but people still visit and enter the structures.

The tomb is only dated to the 4th century BCE. However, it's also possible that the remains of the Hero could have later been placed there. Today, we have bodies from Egypt dating back thousands of years. Why couldn't the ancient Greeks or Lycians have had remains that dated back about a thousand? The tomb also appears to hold 4 to 5 chambers, which could have been used for the wife and children of Bellerophon or His descendants. No one knows. It's a place of great mystery and intrigue.

Moving on from the tomb, I decided to look for Bellerophon in the mentioning of regions outside of Greece as well. The Amazon warriors, whom He fought, were thought to be Scythians, as called by the Greeks, who are Iranian in origin. This means they were Persians. So is there any mention of Bellerophon in Persian history or myth? For starters, there are creatures in Persian myth that have a resemblance to the Chimera, those being the Manticore and the Shahmaran. What the Chimera actually was, if something different such as a deformed beast, we may never know, but there are similar mentions of this creature in the myths of the East as well as the West. While  Bellerophon was not found in Persian religion by my research, the creature that is central to His story, we might conclude, was in one form or another.

Bellerophon remains one of the most beloved and worshiped Heroes of ancient Greek religion to this day, where He will continue to be found in the hearts, minds and prayer books of so many.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

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Learning From The Greek Heroes: Bellerophon

Bellerophon is one of my Patron Heroes, and enjoys a handsome adoration in some of my daily rites. His name is also pronounced Bellerophontes and means "Wielder of Missiles," probably referring to His attacks on the Chimera monster, which begs the question, what was His real name before the battle of the beast? Some say it was Hipponous, which means "Horse-Minded." But the thing is, there are other people in Greek religion with the same name, so it could have been a John Doe title for those who were nameless. We may never actually know Bellerophon's real name, but that's fine because His latter is a great one.

Bellerophon's story begins with a tragedy, but also one that gave Him Heroism. After being found guilty of manslaughter (accidental killing of another human being), He was banished from the land until He could seek and achieve purification from the offense, murder being considered a high pollutant. When He came into the presence of the king who could grant Him the release, the king's wife fell in love with the Hero who refused her advances for reasons of honor. Being angered at this, she falsely accused Bellerophon of trying to rape her. The king, believing his wife over a stranger, sent Bellerophon to another leader with a note to have Him sent to fight the Chimera. The former king didn't want to kill a guest for fear of pollution upon his own house, so He sent the Hero to meet a bloody end at the hands of the fire-breathing monster that was ravaging the countryside. But the Gods were on His side. After Athene showed Him how to harness and use the winged horse of the Gods (Pegasos), He flew overhead where the Chimera couldn't reach Him. When the right moment presented itself, He ran His lance or spear down the creature's throat and killed it. He returned an exonerated Hero.

Bellerophon is the Patron of men who are falsely accused of sexual misconduct, and can be prayed to for help against overwhelming challenges, enemies, and evil and negativity in general. His alleged tomb still stands today in modern Turkey. ( Tomb of Bellerophon )

What can we learn from Bellerophon? First, honor is of the highest importance. If you don't have your honor, you don't have anything. No one will trust or admire a dishonorable individual. He also teaches us to never be scared of the challenges or monsters that face us. We can, through the favor of the Gods, overcome anything if we are willing to fight and never give up. Any hurdle or obstacle can be flown over.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.