Chimera
The Chimera is a mythical beast from Greek mythology that combines parts of a lion, a goat, and a serpent.
Common Name: Chimera, Chimaera
The Chimera is a legendary beast that is usually portrayed as having combined elements of a lion, a goat, and a serpent. It frequently is shown with multiple heads, including that of a lion and a goat, and sometimes has the head of a snake on the end of its serpent’s tail. Sometimes it is depicted with wings.
It was also known to breathe fire, typically shown as coming from the goat’s head.
According to legend, the Chimera lived in a place called Lycia. Its parents were the monsters Echidna and Typhon. Its siblings were the three headed dog Cerberus, and the multi-headed serpent known as the Hydra.
The myth states that the Greek hero known as Bellerophon was commanded by Lycia’s king Iobates to kill the Chimera, which had been attacking livestock and generally wreaking havoc along the countryside. The king secretly hoped that the Chimera would defeat Bellerophon, but the hero succeeded in slaying the Chimera, with the help of the winged horse Pegasus.
In modern times, the word “chimera” has been used to describe something that is made up of parts of many other things. The term is used often in science, including genetics, virology and paleontology.