BELLEROPHON, in fabulous history, the son of Glaucus, king of Epirus. Happening accidentally to kill his brother, he fled to Præctus, king of Argos, who gave him a hospitable reception; but Sthenobœa, his queen, falling in love with the beautiful stranger, and finding that nothing could induce the latter to injure his benefactor, accused him to her husband of an attempt to violate her honour. Præctus, however, being unwilling to act contrary to the laws of hospitality, sent him to Iobates, king of Lysia, the father of Sthenobœa, with letters desiring him to be put to death; whence the proverb Bellerophontis literas affert, equivalent to Litera Uria. On the receipt of these letters, the Lysian prince was celebrating a festival of nine days, which prevented Bellerophon's destruction. In the meanwhile, however, Iobates sent him to subdue the Solymi, the Amazons, and Lysians; thinking doubtless to get rid of
1 Clement has described this work in terms of too extensive import: "Guillaume Bellenden, grand admirateur de Cicéron, s'est donné la torture pour écrire l'Histoire des Empereurs et des Consuls Romains, avec les propres termes de cet ancien orateur, dont il a cité constamment les ouvrages à la marge; et comme il n'osoit pas s'étendre à son gré, en écrivant d'une manière si bornée, il a ajouté des notes à la fin de chaque livre, dans lesquelles il explique plus amplement ses idées." (Bibliothèque curieuse historique et critique, ou Catalogue raisonné de Livres difficiles à trouver, tom. iii. p. 72.)
3 Warton's Essay on the Genius and Writings of Pope, vol. ii. p. 324.
4 "Permoldeste autem foro," says Dr Parr, "potuisse illum, qui ingenii tam acris elegantisque esset, laudibus Bellendenum meritum ac debitis privare. Fidentissime enim confirmamus, Middletonum non modo ex Bellendeni opere supellectilem sibi sublegisse satis lautam atque amplam, sed libri ipsius prope formam, qua res ferret, adumbrasse." (Prof. p. iii.)
5 Morabin, Histoire de Cicéron, avec des Remarques historiques et critiques. Paris, 1745, 2 tom. 4to.
6 "L'auteur avoit dessein de faire la même chose sur Pline l'ancien, et sur Seneque; mais il n'y a eu d'imprimé que ce qui regarde Cicéron, et l'ouvrage même n'est pas commun." (Lenglet du Fresnoy, Méthode pour étudier l'Histoire, tom. xi. p. 72, edit. 1772.)
him by exposure to the greatest dangers, without incurring the odium of direct murder: but the prudence and courage of Bellerophon disappointed this calculation, and he came off victorious. Iobates next employed him to destroy the Chimæra; when, in consideration of his innocence, Minerva, or, according to others, Neptune, furnished him with the horse Pegasus, by the assistance of which he killed this monster. On his return, Iobates, convinced of his truth and integrity, and charmed with his heroic virtues, gave Bellerophon his daughter Philonoe in marriage, and declared him his successor in the kingdom; intelligence which drove Sthenoboca to despair and suicide. But Bellerophon grew vain of his prosperity, and resolving by the assistance of Pegasus to ascend the skies, Jupiter checked his presumption by striking him blind in his flight; on which he fell down to the earth, and wandered about till his death in contempt and misery, while Pegasus mounting into heaven, was placed by Jupiter among the constellations.