Chimera (creature)

:For other uses of this word, see Chimera.

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In Greek mythology, Chimera (Greek ???????, Khimaira; Latin Chimæra) was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna.

Related Topics:
Greek mythology - Greek - Latin - Typhon - Echidna

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Descriptions vary – some say she had the body of a goat, the hindquarters of a snake or dragon and the head of a lion, though others say she had heads of both the goat and lion, with a snake for a tail. All descriptions, however, agree that she breathed fire from one or more of her heads.

Related Topics:
Goat - Snake - Dragon - Lion - Fire

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While there are different genealogies, in one version she mated with her brother Orthrus and mothered the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion.

Related Topics:
Orthrus - Sphinx - Nemean Lion

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Chimera was finally defeated by Bellerophon with the help of Pegasus, the winged horse, at the command of King Iobates of Lycia. There are varying descriptions of her death – some say merely that Bellerophon ran her through on his spear, whereas others say that he fitted his spear point with lead that melted when exposed to Chimera's fiery breath and consequently killed her.

Related Topics:
Bellerophon - Pegasus - Iobates - Lycia

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The myths of the Chimera can be found in Apollodorous' Library (book 1), Virgil's Aeneid (book 6), Homer's Iliad (book 6), Ovid's Metamorphoses (book 4) and Hesiod's Theogony.

Related Topics:
Apollodorous' Library - Virgil - Aeneid - Homer - Iliad - Ovid - Metamorphoses - Hesiod - Theogony

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The word ??????? is Greek for '.

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