The
Legend
of
Peggo

Another hero, Bellerophon, longed to capture PEGASUS, but could not fathom how one could tame such a wild and magnificent creature. A wise man advised Bellerophon to sleep in the temple of Athena. There he saw the goddess before him holding a golden bridle in her hand. When he awoke he was alone but the bridle remained. He ran forth from the temple and found Pegasus drinking at the Corinthian spring, Pirene. Once Pegasus spotted the shine of the gold, Bellerophon put the charmed bridle on the noble steed's head with little difficulty. The bridle in place, Pegasus became gentle and tame. Thus Bellerophon became master of the winged horse. While the guest of King Proetus, Bellerophon attracted the attention his host's wife, Anteia. She had fallen in love with him, and when he would not return her feelings, she told her husband that he had wronged her and therefore must pay with his life. As Proetus did not wish to break the bond between host and guest and suffer the wrath of Zeus, Proetus asked Bellerophon to deliver a letter to the King of Lycia. There the king welcomed him and entertained him for nine days before reading the letter, which contained the message that Bellerophon should be killed. Also not wanting to break the trust between guest and host, he sent Bellerophon to destroy the Chimera, who was said to be undefeatable. The Chimera was described as a monster with a lion's head, a serpent's tail with a and a goat's body, or possibly a creature with three heads, one of each animal. It was said to have been born from a volcano on whose slopes lived these animals. For not only was it a fearsome creature as is, but it could breath flame upon its victims. By night it would ravage the kingdom of Lycia, killing the villagers. Bellerophon agreed to his mission and went to slay the creature. Astride his noble steed he could fly above the monster's flaming breath and deadly claws. He fired arrows at the monster, then timing it right, he waited for the creature to open its mouth to release more flame. He held in his hand a spear with a piece of lead attached to the point. Just as the creature prepare to flame, Bellerophon threw the lance down the monsters throat. In the fiery heat of it belly, the lead melted and killed the creature from the inside. Bellerophon then returned to Proetus, and after several quests over many years, the king conceded and allowed Bellerophon to marry his daughter. He lived happily for a while but his ambition and success made him think of greater things, things which a man should not think. Bellerophon wanted to ride to the top of Mount Olympus to take his place there with the gods. Some say that Pegasus was wiser and threw his rider of his own will or that Zeus became displeased and sent an insect to sting Pegasus who then bucked and dislodged his rider. Bellerophon then either fell to his death, or wandered the earth blind , "devouring his own soul and avoiding the paths of men". Pegasus continued towards the peak where he became the servant of of the gods. There he was the mount of Eos to help bring the dawn, or was ridden by Apollo to bring the sun. Pegasus also served Zeus by bringing to him the thunder and lightning needed for the thunderbolts. For all his noble services, Pegasus was honoured by a custom typeface and a constellation in the autumn sky.

TheLegendofPeggo

The
Legend
of
Peggo