Pegasus

Pegasus is a famous winged horse from ancient Greek stories. He was born when the hero Perseus cut off the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Poseidon, the god of the sea, was his father, and he had a brother named Chrysaor.

Pegasus made a special fountain called Hippocrene on Mount Helicon. The hero Bellerophon caught Pegasus with help from the gods Athena and Poseidon. Pegasus let Bellerophon ride him to fight a monster named Chimera and do many brave things. Later, Bellerophon tried to fly to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, but he fell. Pegasus and Bellerophon were stopped by Zeus for trying to reach the gods' home.

Today, Pegasus is remembered as a bright star pattern in the sky. He appears in many old paintings, sculptures, and artworks from ancient Greece and later times.

Etymology

The poet Hesiod says the name Pegasus comes from a word meaning "spring, well". This is because that is where he was born.

Some think the name means "lightning". They believe this because Pegasus brought thunderbolts to the god Zeus. This idea was shared in 1952 and many still think it is true, even though some experts have doubts.

Springs

In old stories, when the winged horse Pegasus touched the ground with his hoof, a special spring of water would appear. One of these springs was on Mount Helicon, home of the Muses, called the Hippocrene or "horse spring." Some believe the god Poseidon helped create this spring. Another spring linked to Pegasus was near the city of Troezen. The poet Hesiod tells how Pegasus was drinking from this spring when the hero Bellerophon met him.

Thunderbolts

Hesiod wrote that Pegasus carried thunderbolts for Zeus.

Roman iconography

A scholar studied old Roman bronze coins. They showed Pegasus with an eagle carrying a thunderbolt. This matches stories about Pegasus carrying Zeus’s thunder or pulling his storm chariot. It shows that Romans thought Pegasus was linked to strong divine power and stormy weather.

Birth

In ancient Greek stories, the winged horse Pegasus and his brother Chrysaor were born in a magical place called the "springs of Oceanus." This place is thought to surround the earth. Their birth happened when the hero Perseus fought the monster Medusa.

One story says Pegasus and Chrysaor came from the blood that sprayed from Medusa’s neck. Another story says they were born from the earth when Medusa’s blood touched it. A third story says they were formed from a mix of Medusa’s blood and sea foam.

Bellerophon

Pegasus helped the hero Bellerophon fight a monster called the Chimera. One story says that Polyeidos told Bellerophon to sleep in the temple of Athena. That night, the goddess gave Bellerophon a golden bridle. The next morning, Bellerophon found Pegasus drinking at the Pierian spring. With the bridle, he caught and tamed Pegasus.

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Left: a Hellenistic Greek mosaic of Bellerophon slaying the Chimera, 300–270 BC, Archaeological Museum of Rhodes

Right: a Roman mosaic of Bellerophon slaying the Chimera, 2nd to 3rd centuries AD, Musée de la Romanité, Nîmes

Perseus

When Pegasus was born, he flew to a place where thunder and lightning come from. In some stories, the goddess Athena tamed him and gave him to Perseus. Perseus then flew with Pegasus to Ethiopia to help Andromeda.

Olympus

After Bellerophon fell off Pegasus, Pegasus and Athena went to Olympus. There, Pegasus joined other horses that belonged to Zeus. Pegasus had an important job: carrying Zeus's thunderbolts. Pegasus worked with others, including Astrape and Bronte, who helped Zeus.

Because Pegasus served Zeus so well, he was later honored by being placed among the stars as a constellation. On that day, one of his feathers fell to Earth near the city of Tarsus.

Indo-European context

Pegasus is part of a long tradition of magical or divine horses from many cultures. His place in the stars shows an old belief that links horses to the changing seasons, especially the coming of spring.

Legacy

In heraldry

Pegasus is a popular symbol in British coats of arms. It can be a supporter or crest. Sometimes it is on the main shield. The Inner Temple shows Pegasus standing, and the Richardson family has Pegasus sitting on their coat of arms.

World War II emblem

In World War II, a warrior riding Pegasus was chosen as a symbol for the United Kingdom’s parachute troops in 1941. The design showed a warrior arriving from the air, like paratroopers. It was a light blue Pegasus on a maroon background. The maroon color became the troops’ beret color, and Germans called them “Red Devils.” Today, the Parachute Regiment still wears these berets. The selection process is called the Pegasus Company. In 2015, some units started using the Pegasus symbol again.

In 1944, British troops captured a bridge over the Caen Canal during the Normandy invasion. The bridge is now called Pegasus Bridge to remember their bravery.

Tuscany

Pegasus has been a symbol of Tuscany since 1537, when it appeared on a coin. During World War II, the Tuscan Committee of National Liberation also used it. Today, Pegasus is still on the Tuscan flag and coat of arms.

In popular culture

Pegasus is used by many companies. Ecuador named a weather satellite Pegaso in 2013. Pegasus Airlines, a low-cost airline from Istanbul, Turkey, uses the winged horse in its logo. Mobil Oil has used Pegasus as its logo since the 1930s. TriStar Pictures also has a winged horse in its logo.