Unchanged by any teller — how the centuries since have seen Iobates.
The gallery
Bellerophon Sets Out against the Chimera
Russian school (mythographic plate), 19th–early 20th century
Printed Odyssey of Bellerophon’s Lycian labours: the hero rides out against the Chimera on the quest King Iobates assigned after reading Proetus’ sealed death-letter. Schoolbook myth keeps Iobates the off-stage sender of every Pegasus exploit that follows.
In play
Iliad VI (Bellerophon and Iobates)
Homer
Glaucus tells how Proetus sent Bellerophon to Lycia with tokens of death, and how Iobates — reading the folded tablet — set the Chimera, Solymi, and Amazons as murderous tests.
Bibliotheca (Iobates and Bellerophon)
Apollodorus
Apollodorus’ handbook expands Iobates’ lethal hospitality and the eventual marriage of Bellerophon to Philonoe — the Lycian king as judge, would-be killer, and finally father-in-law.