Her heads were three: one was that of a glare-eyed lion, one of a goat, and the third of a snake, a powerful drakon (serpentine-dragon). "She bore the Khimaira (Chimera), who snorted raging fire, a beast great and terrible, and strong and swift-footed. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) : "Amisodaros (Amisodarus), the one who had nourished the furious Khimaira (Chimera) to be an evil to many." He killed the Khimaira, obeying the portents of the immortals." "First he sent him away with orders to kill the Khimaira (Chimera) none might approach a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.ĬLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES Bellerophon, Pegasus and the Chimera, Laconian black-figure kylix C6th B.C., The J. In the works of art recently discovered in Lycia, we find several representations of the Chimaera in the simple form of a species of lion still occurring in that country. 665, &c.), which is described as the scene of the events connected with the Chimaera.
15), or in the volcanic valley near the Cragus (Strab. The origin of the notion of this fire-breathing monster must probably be sought for in the volcano of the name of Chimaera near Phaselis, in Lycia (Plin. 288) places her together with other monsters at the entrance of Orcus. § 1.) She was killed by Bellerophon, and Virgil ( Aen. 319, &c.), she was a daughter of Typhaon and Echidna, and had three heads, one of each of the three animals before mentioned, whence she is called trikephalos or trisômatos. The fore part of her body was that of a lion, and the hind part that of a dragon, while the middle was that of a goat. She was brought up by Amisodarus, king of Caria, and afterwards made great havoc in all the country around and among men. SPHINX, NEMEIAN LION (by Orthos) (Hesiod Theogony 327)ĬHIMAERA (Chimaira), a fire-breathing monster, which, according to the Homeric poems, was of divine origin. TYPHOEUS & EKHIDNA (Hesiod Theogony 319, Homeric Hymn 3.356, Apollodorus 2.32 & Hyginus Pref & Fabulae 151) OFFSPRING Late classical writers believed the creature was a metaphor for a Lycian volcano. He rode into battle on the back of the winged horse Pegasos and drove a lead-tipped lance into its flaming throat, choking the beast on molten metal. The hero Bellerophon was commanded by King Iobates to slay the beast. It was a bizarre fire-breathing creature with the body and head of a lion, a goat's head rising from its back, the udders of a goat, and a serpent for a tail. THE KHIMAIRA (Chimera) was a three-headed monster which ravaged the countryside of Lykia (Lycia) in Anatolia. Chimera Chimera, South Italian red-figure kylix C4th B.C., Musée du Louvre
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