h. He therefore went into Lycia, under the blameless escort
of the gods; but when now he had arrived at Lycia and at the river
Xanthus, the king of wide Lycia honoured him with a willing mind. Nine
days did he entertain him hospitably, and sacrificed nine oxen; but when
the tenth rosy-fingered morn appeared, then indeed he interrogated him,
and desired to see the token,[243] whatever it was, that he brought from
his son-in-law Proetus. But after he had received the fatal token of his
son-in-law, first he commanded him to slay the invincible Chimaera; but
she was of divine race, not of men, in front a lion, behind a dragon, in
the middle a goat,[244] breathing forth the dreadful might of gleaming
fire. And her indeed he slew, relying on the signs of the gods. Next he
fought with the illustrious Solymi: and he said that he entered on this
as the fiercest fight among men. Thirdly, he slew the man-opposing
Amazons. But for him returning the king wove another wily plot.
Selecting the bravest men from wide Lycia, he placed an ambuscade; but
they never returned home again, for blameless Bellerophon slew them all.
But when [Iobates] knew that he was the offspring of a god, he detained
him there, and gave him his daughter:[245] he also gave him half of all
his regal honour. The Lycians also separated for him an enclosure of
land, excelling all others, pleasant, vine-bearing, and arable, that he
might cultivate it. But this woman brought forth three children to
warlike Bellerophon, Isandrus, Hippolochus, and Laodamia. Provident
Jove, indeed, had clandestine intercourse with Laodamia, and she brought
forth godlike, brazen-helmed Sarpedon. But when now even he
[Bellerophon] was become odious to all the gods, he, on his part,
wandered alone[246] through the Aleian plain,[247] pining in his soul,
and shunning the path of men. But Mars, insatiable of war, slew his son
Isandrus, fighting against the illustrious Solymi. And golden-reined
Diana, being enraged, slew his daughter. But Hippolochus begat me, and
from him I say that I am born; me he sent to Troy, and gave me very many
commands, always to fight bravely, and to be superior to others; and not
to disgrace the race of my fathers, who were by far the bravest in
Ephyra, and ample Lycia. From this race and blood do I boast to be."

[Footnote 241: On this popular Homeric proverb, see Duport, Gnom.
Hom. p. 31, sq.]

[Footnote 242: She is more frequently called Sthenoboea, or