Pegasus was the winged horse born from Medusa’s body after Perseus beheaded her.
In the best-known classical version, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon when Perseus killed her. Pegasus emerged from her severed neck, together with Chrysaor, a son often associated with a golden sword. The unusual birth connects the monster’s death with the arrival of two extraordinary offspring.
Pegasus later became one of Greek mythology’s most recognizable creatures. The hero Bellerophon captured or tamed him with divine assistance and rode him during his battle against the Chimera. Ancient images often show Pegasus as a horse with large wings, while later art made him a general symbol of poetic inspiration.
Pegasus is distinct from Chrysaor: Pegasus is the winged horse, whereas Chrysaor is usually described as a human or giant warrior. Both are children of Medusa and Poseidon in later myth.