Iobates

Iobates was a legendary king of Lycia in Greek mythology. He is primarily known for his role in the myth of Bellerophon, a hero who was sent to Iobates with the intention of being killed. Bellerophon was the son of Glaucus, who was the son of Sisyphus. His mother was Eurymede, and he was a descendant of Prometheus.

The story often begins with Anteia, the wife of King Proetus of Tiryns. Anteia fell in love with Bellerophon and when he rejected her advances, she falsely accused him of attempting to rape her. Proetus, unwilling to kill his own guest, sent Bellerophon to Iobates with a sealed tablet, or "grammata," that contained instructions for Iobates to kill the bearer. The tablet is often described as containing a letter detailing Bellerophon's supposed crime.

Upon Bellerophon's arrival, Iobates, bound by guest-friendship and the request in the letter, could not directly harm him. Instead, Iobates devised a series of dangerous tasks for Bellerophon, hoping he would perish. These tasks typically included slaying the Chimera, a monstrous fire-breathing creature, and fighting the Solymi, a fierce warrior tribe, and then the Amazons.

Bellerophon, with the help of the winged horse Pegasus, which he captured with the guidance of the seer Polyeidus or the goddess Athena, successfully completed all the tasks. Impressed and perhaps ashamed of his initial intentions, Iobates offered Bellerophon his daughter's hand in marriage and half of his kingdom. Some accounts suggest Iobates later tried to kill Bellerophon again, but was ultimately thwarted.