JOURNAL ARCHIVES
OCTOBER 2007
The mythology of butterflies and moths
Aung San Suu Kyi: Fighting the power of fear
Ten oxherding pictures (Shubun)
Pegasus and the slaying of the chimera
Pegasus and the rescue of Andromeda
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OCTOBER 15, 2007
THE CAPTURE OF PEGASUS
Pegasus Captured. Redon. 1889.
Pegasus was a horse-god, the son of Poseidon and the Medusa. Athena (goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, and justice) captured him with a golden bridle and presented him to the Muses who put him in service to the poet. According to Greek myth, under his hooves the waters of the Muses (inspiration) flows.
Bellerophon was a Greek hero, a slayer of monsters and an accomplished equestrian. When he was a young adult, a seer told him that he would need Pegasus, during his quest to slay the chimera. In order to capture the winged horse, the seer advised him to make offerings to Athena and then to sleep in her temple. Bellerophon followed his advice and while he slept in the goddess's temple, she appeared to him in a dream. When he awoke, the golden bridle was on the floor beside him.
Bellerophon took the bridle and waited at the well of Pirene. Pegasus arrived there at dusk, as was his custom, and knelt to drink. Bellerophon sprung out of hiding and after quickly bridling the horse's head, he leapt on his back. Pegasus attempted to throw the youth, but he could not. The two then flew off to Lycia to battle the chimera.
© 2007 by Wesley Usher. All rights reserved.
