Pegasus.
The winged horse of the open sky
Pegasus: Greek Winged Horse, Medusa and Bellerophonis the winged horse born when kills . His best-known rider is , and his story eventually carries him beyond a hero’s adventures into the service of .
More than a myth.
How Pegasus is born
says and Chrysaor emerge after severs ’s head. The same passage identifies as the father through his union with Medusa. Pegasus’s birth makes a remarkable new being arise from the death of a feared one, giving the Gorgon’s family a role that extends beyond petrification.
Pegasus and Bellerophon
rides against the Chimera. Traditions involving and a bridle explain how a human rider can control such an extraordinary horse. The partnership should not be confused with ’s journey to kill , which takes place before Pegasus’s birth and uses different means of flight.
The horse after the hero
places in ’s house carrying thunder and lightning. Other poetry describes the fall of when he attempts to reach the gods. Pegasus’s divine destination does not guarantee his rider the same outcome. The horse also becomes connected with poetic springs, joining flight and inspiration in later imagery.
Questions about Pegasus
Is Pegasus a unicorn?
No. is a winged horse. A single horn is not his defining attribute in the Greek stories.
Who are Pegasus’s parents?
and in . He emerges when kills Medusa, but Perseus is not his father.
It’s a family affair.
The stories of Pegasus.
Ancient voices.
Enduring stories.
Myths have many tellings. These are the ancient works behind this profile, linked to freely available English translations.
Theogony
Lines 270–286
Library
Book 2.3.2
Pegasus
Athena’s bridle, the ascent, and poetic springs