Page:The Story of the Iliad.djvu/96

78 to slay the beast which no man could conquer, even the Chimæra. Now this Chimæra was of the race of the gods and not of the race of men. Her face was the face of a lion, and her hinder parts were the tail of a serpent, and her middle the shape of a goat, and the breath of her mouth was flaming fire. Her, indeed, he slew, for the gods guided him in his deed. And after this he fought with the Solymi, that were valiant men of war; and never, he was wont to say in aftertime, did he encounter warriors so fierce and strong as they. Then, again, he fought with the Amazons, that were women with the strength of men, and prevailed over them. But when he was coming back from these doings, the King devised against him a crafty device. For he set an ambush against him, choosing for it the bravest men of all the land of Lycia. But not one man of these returned to his home, for Bellerophon slew them all. And when the King knew how valiant he was, and that he was of the race of the gods, he would keep him in the land, and gave him his daughter to his wife, yea, and with her the half of