Pegasus and Bellerophontes
Pegasus was a winged horse born from the blood of beheaded Medusa, and given by the goddess Athena to the Muses of the Mount Helicon to being taken care of.
Bellerophontes or Bellerophon was a great equestrian, a young man from Corinth, whose biggest dream was to have Pegasus for himself. Although Bellerophontes is supposed to be the son of King Glaucus of Corinth, there were rumors that his father was actually Poseidon, the God of the Sea. In the latter case, that would mean that Pegasus and Bellerophontes were brothers via their father, but that was never the interesting part of the myth about the two of them.
While Pegasus was enjoying his calm days with the Muses, Bellerophontes was dreaming about adventures. Looking for them he met Proteus, the early sea-god, and son-in-law of the King of Lycia. Believing in their friendship, Bellerophontes didn’t recognize Proteus’s jealousy, let alone his friend’s plan to kill him.
Aware of Bellerophonte’s adventurous nature, Proteus sent him with a sealed letter to his in-laws. When he arrived in Lycia, Bellerophontes found out that every night Chimera, the monster with the head of a lion and the tail of a dragon, terrorized the village taking children, women and livestock away and leaving their bones alongside the mountain.
Bellerophontes didn’t know that his own death was requested in the letter he brought. Proteus asked his in-laws to get rid of the messenger. Instead of killing him on spot, the king asked Bellerophontes to kill the Chimera, knowing that he would never come back alive.
Bellerophontes was excited and went for advice to Polyidus or Polyeidos, the wisest man in Lycia. Polyeidos told him he would need the winged horse Pegasus.