Tucker-Pegasus

__ Pegasus __ __ Origins and Importance __ Pegasus, the beautiful winged horse generally white in color, is one of the best know Greek mythological creatures in history. There are many different interpretations of the birth of Pegasus; however, the most commonly accepted one was that he was born from the neck of Medusa after Perseus cut her head off. He was the brother of Chrysaor who was always born from the neck of Medusa. Pegasus is mostly associated with the carrier of Zeus’ lighting bolt, the creator of Hippocrene at Mt. Helicon, Bellerophon’s horse. Pegasus still lives on today as a constellation in the night sky.

__ Mythological Stories __ In the city of Ephyre, as known as modern day Corinth, lived a beautiful, bold, and courageous young man named Bellerophon. Bellerophon was rumored to be the son the Poseidon, the god of the sea, and though he was mortal, many people thought of his as a more divine human. Bellerophon was well known for his many adventures, and, most importantly, his desire to have Pegasus as his horse.
 * The Story of Bellerophon and Pegasus **

In an attempt to capture Pegasus, Bellerophon was advised by Polyeidos, the famous seer of Ephyre, to go to Athena's, the goddess of war, temple and sleep there. Bellerophon did as he was advised and went to sleep beside the altar at Athena’s temple. In the middle of the night Bellerophon was awaken by the goddess herself who carried with her a gift for him, a golden bridle that would be used to capture Pegasus. Finally certain he would be able to capture Pegasus, Bellerophon slept the rest of the night clutching the bridle in his hand and woke up the next morning determined to find Pegasus.

Pegasus loved to drink from the spring of Peirene at Corinth; therefore, it was not hard for Bellerophon to locate the horse. The horse caught sight of Bellerophon while he approached, and, without any hesitation or aggression, surrendered himself to be bridled. Bellerophon was finally the master of the creature he had longed to own. Immediately, Bellerophon began to tame the horse and used the horse as an aid in his many adventures, including the battle against the Amazons and the killing of Chimaera, the three-headed, vicious monster.

However, along with his victories, Bellerophon began to think he was capable of things larger than life. One day he attempted to fly Pegasus to Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods and goddesses, in hopes of living among the immortals. Zeus thoroughly hated humans who thought they could live among the Gods and because of this, he throw Bellerophon off the back of Pegasus when he reached Mt. Olympus. Luckily, Bellerophon was able to survive the fall from Mt. Olympus to earth; however, he was severely injured and was forced to live the rest of his life as a crippled, blind man, wandering lonely through the Aleian fields, avoiding the paths of men until his death.

As for Pegasus, he found shelter in the stables of Zeus’ other steeds at Mt. Olympus. Pegasus spent the rest of his life carrying the lighting bolts for Zeus until his demise. Because of the dedication and trustworthiness he displayed while serving Zeus, he was honored with the transformation into a constellation after his death.



__ Modern References __

media type="youtube" key="jBpELjf3AgA" height="315" width="420" align="center" Pegasus by The Hollies

__ Work Cited __
 * []
 * [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus#Legacy]
 * []