Greek
Aegis
Aegis (Αἰγίς)
Shaken, it raises storms and sends enemy armies fleeing in terror.
ArmorFirst recorded c. 750 BCE
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Photograph: A bronze statuette of Pegasus from the late sixteenth century. A horse with spread wings rears on its hind legs on a marble base.
Focus the photograph, then use the arrow keys to pan and the plus and minus keys to zoom. The buttons at the lower left also move it. Press a numbered button on the photograph to zoom to that note.
2,250 × 3,000 PX2250×3000
ArchiveGreek · Mount
Pegasus
Pegasus (Πήγασος)
Flies on its wings, and raises springs by striking the ground with its hooves.
- Owner
- Bellerophon, later Zeus
- Maker
- Born from Medusa's neck
- First record
- Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCE
- Gallery
- Greek
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
The Theogony sings that when Perseus cut off Medusa's head, the winged horse Pegasus sprang from her body. When Pegasus kicked Mount Helicon with his hoof, the poets' spring Hippocrene gushed forth.
The hero Bellerophon tamed Pegasus with a golden bridle Athena gave him in a dream. Riding Pegasus through the sky, he shot down the fire-breathing monster Chimera.
When Bellerophon grew proud and tried to ride Pegasus up to Olympus, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse. Bellerophon fell to earth, and Pegasus rose to heaven to carry the thunderbolts of Zeus.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Pegasus(European, 1575–1599), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
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