Bellerophon's greatest desire was to ride the magnificent winged horse, Pegasus. He thought he would never even get close to Pegasus, let alone tame him and ride him. One night, the goddess Athena appeared to him in a dream. "What man swears cannot be done, should not be hoped for. Power on high will place it in his hands with ease."

Bellerophon woke to find a golden bridle at his feet. He went to Pegasus' favorite meadow and found the wonderful horse. Pegasus trotted right over and allowed himself to be mounted without a struggle.

Horse and rider were a perfect match and they had many exciting and successful adventures. Unfortunately for Bellerophon, he was determined to become a god. One day, he leaped onto Pegasus and urged him up toward Olympus, the home of the gods. Pegasus was wiser and for the first time, would not obey. He threw his rider to the ground and flew away. Bellerophon, whose ambition had grown too great, wandered on foot for the rest of his life, avoiding contact with other people.

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Last modified: Tue Jul 1 15:32:00 PDT 1997

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