Pegasus, the legendary winged horse, is as famous today as it has been with previous generations, and the imagery associated with it is as potent as any image of Zeus, or any other Greek god.

When thinking about Pegasus it is hard not to think of the winged god of the Ray Harryhausen film, Clash of the Titans. The film’s storyline though has been greatly distorted from the original Greek myths.

Pegasus is generally considered to be the offspring of the Gorgon Medusa and the sea god Poseidon, Poseidon having forced himself upon Medusa in Athena’s temple. Medusa though was unable to give birth following the intervention of Athena. Medusa finally met her end at the hands of Perseus, who beheaded her. As Medusa’s head parted from her neck, Pegasus either sprang forth fully grown from the open wound, or from the blood that fell to the ground.

Pegasus though was also provided with an older brother at the time of his birth. Chrysaor was said to also spring forth from the neck or blood of Medusa. Chrysaor was normally classified as a giant, conceived after Medusa was impregnated by Poseidon in Athena’s temple, but the curse on the Gorgon meant that he could not be born.

Pegasus once born then flew to Mount Olympus where he was greeted by Zeus and the other Olympian gods. Still a wild animal, Pegasus though was taken into hand by Athena, who set about taming him so that others could ride upon his back. Athena though would only conceive of giving him to a worthy hero, and Perseus having already proved himself was an apt choice. Thus Perseus was presented with the winged horse by the goddess, the Greek hero then made use of him by rescuing Andromeda from the clutches of Cetus, the sea monster.

With his quest completed, Perseus allowed Pegasus to fly away, and the winged horse returned to Mount Olympus, where Zeus presented him to Muses to help inspire them and mortals. The Muses also had need of Pegasus though, and it was he that relieved Mount Helicon from the water build up within. Mount Helicon in Boeotia was sacred to the Muses, and as Pegasus galloped over it he created a spring, the Hippocrene. Pegasus was also said to have created a number of other springs and wells around ancient Greece through the same method.

Perseus was not the only Greek hero to ride upon the back of Pegasus, and Bellerophon followed suit. Once again it was Athena who made a present of the horse, although the method was not as straightforward as with Perseus. Bellerophon was given a golden bridle by the goddess, with the hero then making his way to the Pirene well within the Acrocotinth. At the well he found Pegasus drinking, and when the horse saw the bridle he allowed himself to be captured.

Bellerophon made good use of Pegasus and fought the Amazons, and the Chimera from its back. Bellerophon managed to kill the Chimera, and was overcome with a sense of his own worth. Feelings of greatness greatly outweighed commonsense and Bellerophon decided to make an uninvited visit to Mount Olympus. Zeus though would not allow a mortal to be so presumptuous, and as Pegasus flew up the mountainside so Zeus stung the horse with a gadfly, causing the Greek hero to fall to earth, and although not killed, the hero would never rise to such heights ever again.

Pegasus was also needed by Zeus as well, and it was the winged horse that would bring the weapons to the god when needed, these weapons of course being the thunder and lightning as created by the Cyclopes. To aid in speedy delivery Pegasus was said to be stabled with the other horses of the gods, and it was here that Pegasus paired up with Ocyrrhoe, the daughter of Chiron turned into a horse by Apollo. The coupling of these two horse gave rise to the whole subsequent race of winged horses, with the first being Celeris and Melanippe.

There are conflicting reports about whether Pegasus died or not, in many sources it is claimed that the winged horse was an immortal being the offspring of Poseidon. Pegasus was though given a prized position in the heavens by Zeus as recognition for the services provided to the gods.