Bellerophon

**Bellerophon** or **Bellerophontes** (Βελλεροφών or Βελλεροφόντης in Ancient Greek, meaning "slayer of Belleros"), also known as **Hipponous** (Ἱππόνοος, meaning "horse-knower"), was a legendary divine hero from Corinth in Greek mythology. He was born to Poseidon and Eurynome, though raised by his foster father Glaukos. Before the time of Heracles, he was considered one of the greatest monster-slayers and heroes, alongside Cadmus and Perseus.

His most famous achievement was slaying the Chimera, a fearsome monster described in the *Iliad*. Homer portrayed this creature as having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail, with the ability to breathe devastating blasts of flame.

Another of Bellerophon's renowned feats was the capture and taming of Pegasus, the winged horse. He accomplished this with the aid of Athena, who provided him with an enchanted bridle. However, his story took a tragic turn when he attempted to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus, an act of hubris that earned him the gods' displeasure.