Pegasus (Greek: Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; Latin: Pegasus, Pegasos) is a winged divine horse, and one of the most recognized creatures in Greek Religion. Usually depicted as pure white, Pegasus is the offspring of the Olympian God Poseidon. He was foaled by the Gorgon Medusa upon her death, when the hero Perseus decapitated her.
Pegasus was caught by the Greek hero Bellerophon, near the fountain Peirene, with the help of Athena and Poseidon. Pegasus allowed Bellerophon to ride him in order to defeat the monstrous Chimera, an achievement which led to many other exploits. Bellerophon later fell from the winged horse's back while trying to reach Mount Olympus. Afterwards, Zeus transformed Pegasus into the eponymous constellation.
Bellerophon was king of Corinth- therefore, Pegasus appears on numerous coins of Corinth and its colonies. Generally, this famous winged creature is featured on other ancient Greek coins as well.
It was also used on modern Greek drachmas in the 20th century.
No comments:
Post a Comment