▁( king ▁of ▁Arg os ▁and ▁Tir yn s ) ▁wanted ▁I ob ates ▁to ▁kill ▁B eller oph on , ▁but ▁I ob ates ▁fe ared ▁the ▁wr ath ▁of ▁the ▁gods ▁if ▁he ▁murder ed ▁a ▁guest . ▁So ▁he ▁sent ▁B eller oph on ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁that ▁he ▁de emed ▁impossible : ▁to ▁kill ▁a ▁fire - bre ath ing ▁mon ster , ▁the ▁Ch im era . ▁ ▁An ▁alternate ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁quest ▁is ▁that ▁B eller oph on ▁encountered ▁Pro et us , ▁who ▁grew ▁intens ely ▁je alous ▁of ▁him . ▁ ▁Pro et us ▁was ▁the ▁son - in - law ▁of ▁I ob ates , ▁and ▁sent ▁B eller oph on ▁to ▁him ▁with ▁a ▁se aled ▁message ▁that ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁kill ▁B eller oph on . ▁Ly cia ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁a ▁hor r ific ▁pl ague ▁and ▁I ob ates ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁stra in ▁the ▁population ▁with ▁a ▁war , ▁which ▁would ▁surely ▁result ▁if ▁he ▁murder ed ▁B eller oph on . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁sent ▁him ▁to ▁kill ▁the ▁Ch im era . ▁▁ ▁The ▁god dess ▁Ath ena , ▁real izing ▁B eller oph on ▁would ▁surely ▁die ▁if ▁he ▁under to ok ▁this ▁task ▁alone , ▁sent ▁him ▁aid ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁wing ed ▁horse , ▁Peg as us . ▁Alternatively , ▁B eller oph on ▁sought ▁out ▁the ▁wis est ▁man ▁in