Long ago in the land of Lycea in Asia there lived a fierce monster called Chimera. It breathed fire and smoke from its huge nostrils and devoured anyone who dared to come near it - sheep, cattle, men, women, children, and even wild beasts.
People were afraid to come out of their and their King Isobates could neither sleep nor rest for worrying how to rid his land of the evil monster. For what man would be so brave as to undertake so dread a task? The monster had no fewer than 3 heads, a goat's, a loin's and a serpent's and from its three heads there gushed forth long tongues of flames that burned the countyside and spread destruction far and wide. The Chimera's body was like that of a dragon and its tail like that of a boa consticter.
At that time a brave and noble youny knight, Bellerophon by name, chanced to be visting the King of that matter. It was Bellerphon's fondest dream to do some brave and valiant deed, so when the strength against the beast he was only too eager to prepare himself for this mighty task.