CREATURES OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY – CHIMAERA

Prince Bellerophon traveled to distant Lycia

At King Proetus’s request to perform an errand

Arriving on his winged steed Pegasus he found

A pall had been cast over the once-joyful land

 

Each night, the Chimaera, a three headed monster

A combination of a lion, a goat and a serpent

Swept down and carried off terrified victims

Men, women, children, and livestock all went

 

The bones of the beasts many victims lay strewn

Along the valley and across the mountainside

The population were living in constant fear

And at night when possible they stayed inside

 

The errand for King Proetus was a letter delivery

And the letter was for Iobates of Lycia, the King

When he had read the letter the hero had delivered

He found that Proteus wished Bellerophon’s killing

 

Iobates was the father in law of King Proetus

And he accused Bellerophon of his wife’s seduction

In truth Proetus’ wife was in fact the guilty party

She falsely accused him after suffering rejection

 

Though he wanted to please his son-in-law,

He knew that he dare not risk an outright execution

As this would lead to war with the Corinthians

So he slyly set a challenge for young Bellerophon

 

Iobates set him the task of slaying the Chimaera

Almost certain that he would never return alive

Bellerophon had always longed for excitement

Fearless he rose to a challenge he may not survive

 

Iobates told him the monster was related to Cerberus

Watchdog of Hades and the many-headed Hydra

Even though the King described the beast in detail

He was not at all frightened of facing the Chimaera

 

So mounted upon his faithful winged Pegasus

Bellerophon set off to find the Chimeras lair

Believing a head on attack was too dangerous

He thought his only chance was from the air

 

Once they had the location of the hideous beast

Armed with his bow he rained arrows down below

The had the effect of unnerving the creature greatly

Pegasus just kept them out of reach of its fiery glow

 

Then Armed with a lance he charged the Chimaera

And the beast exhaled a plume of its horrible fire 

Pegasus darted backward to evade the burning breath

Then they had to strike before Pegasus began to tire

 

So they repeated the tactic for just one more time

This time before the Chimaera could breathe again,

Pegasus renewed its charge towards the great beast

And Bellerophon speared Chimaera's heart and brain

 

The next morning Pegasus and Bellerophon flew

Out of the dawn holding aloft the Chimaera’s head

There was great rejoicing though out the kingdom

And soon the news traveled that the beast was dead

 

With Chimaera dead Iobates knew he was unable

To fulfill King Proetus’s request to take the boys life

King Iobates embraced the young hero and then

Gave his willing daughter to Bellerophon as a wife