King Iobates of Lycia had two daughters: Stheneboea, whom he gave in marriage to Proetus of Tiryns, and Philonoe, whom he later gave to Bellerophon after the hero proved his divine favor.
Iobates sent Bellerophon against the Amazons as one of his impossible tasks, expecting the warrior women to kill the hero. Bellerophon defeated them from the air on Pegasus, further proving his divine favor.
King Iobates of Lycia received Bellerophon bearing sealed tablets that demanded his death. Unwilling to kill a guest, Iobates devised impossible tasks — the Chimera, the Solymoi, the Amazons — and when the hero survived them all, Iobates gave him his daughter Philonoe and half the Lycian kingdom.
The Chimera terrorized the kingdom of Lycia until King Iobates sent Bellerophon to destroy it, expecting the impossible task to kill the hero on behalf of his son-in-law Proetus.
Proetus sent Bellerophon to his father-in-law Iobates with a sealed letter requesting the hero's death. Iobates, bound by the laws of hospitality, could not kill a guest directly and instead devised deadly tasks.
Stheneboea's false accusation of Bellerophon triggered the chain of events that brought the hero to Iobates's court. As Stheneboea's father, Iobates was drawn into the plot to kill the man his daughter had accused.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and improve your experience. Learn more