Chimera, in Greek mythology refers to a fire-breathing creature composed of multiple animals resided in Lycia in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). As described in Homer’s Illiad and Hesiod’s Theogony – Chimera had the head and body of a lion, as well as the head of a goat attached to its back and a head of dragon (in hinderpart breathing a fearful blast of fire) and a tail that ended as a head of a snake. Off-spring of Typhon (a fearsome monster) and Echidna (half-woman, half-snake), sighting the Chimera was an omen for storms, shipwrecks and natural diasters (volcanoes). Chimera was killed by the Greek hero Bellerophon assisted by the flying stallion Pegasus. Since Pegasus could fly, Bellerophon could avoid Chimera’s breath from a distance and killed her with his spear containing lead which melted when exposed to Chimera’s fiery breath.
