Pegasus

Appearance: A beautiful horse with wings.

Symbol or Attribute: His wings are his identifying symbol.

Strengths: Can fly.

Weaknesses: Can be captured and ridden.

Parents: Medusa – Pegasus was born from the blood of her severed head when Perseus killed her. His brother Chrysaor was born at the same moment; Chrysaor was not a horse though little is known of his appearance and he may have been a giant. Poseidon-was the father of Chrysaor and may also have been the father of Pegasus.

Spouse: None

Children: None known.

Associated Sites: Mount Helicon, where Pegasus kicked the mountain to stop it growing larger and at the same moment, created the spring called Hippocrene; Corinth, where the ill-fated hero Bellerophon captured him on the high hill of Acrocorinth.

Basic Story: Bellerophon tried to use Pegasus to fly to Mount Olympus, but Zeus was not amused and sent an insect to bite Pegasus. Pegasus then bucked off Bellerophon, who fell to earth and died. Moral: don’t try to crash Mount Olympus without an invite.

Alternate name: Sometimes spelled “Pegasos”, which may mean his name has non-Greek origins indicated by the “-os” ending, which is pre-Greek. Winged horses and other winged animals were also sometimes depicted in Minoan art on the island of Crete.

Interesting Fact: Pegasus is sometimes called “The Thundering Horse of Jove,” an alternate name for Zeus,  and is thought to carry Zeus’ thunderbolts

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