Pegasus was tamed by Neptune or Minerva, and was a great favourite with the Muses. He was given to Bellerophon, son of Glaucus, King of Ephyre, to aid him in conquering the Chimaera.
Bellerophon succeeded in destroying the monster, and then attempted to fly up to heaven on his winged steed. Jupiter, angered by his presumption, caused an insect to sting Pegasus, which brought about the fall of his rider. Wordsworth thus mentions the episode:
In wrath) fell headlong from the fields of air.
Pegasus, freed of his burden, continued his flight up to heaven, and Jupiter accorded him a place among the constellations.
It is said that Pegasus bears for Jupiter the lightning and thunder.
Where, splendid with his num'rous stars, he shines.
Ovid's Fasti.
The fact that Pegasus was especially favoured by the Muses has given rise to the expression often heard, "to mount Pegasus," and every poet it is said must drink of the fountain created by his hoof blow, before he can expect to soar on Pegasean wing. As Spenser says:
To mount to heaven, on Pegasus must ride,
And with sweet Poet's verse be glorified.
Brown regards Pegasus as the steed of Poseidon, the Charioteer, rising out of "the great deep," or "sea," as this region of the sky was called by the ancients.
Aratos gives us the following description of the Flying Horse:
And shown but half, rises the sacred Horse.
