In Greek mythology, the Chimera was the daughter of Typhon, a hundred-headed giant, and Echidna, half-woman and half-serpent. She herself was a monstrous creature with the front of a lion, the middle of a wild goat, and the rear of a dragon, with mouth that breathed fire. According to legend, she lived in the volcanic gorge of Kragu in Lycia, guarding the entrance to the underworld. Whenever a human approached, she would emerge from her lair and unleash flames upon them. The hero Bellerophon, riding the winged horse Pegasus, eventually slew her by shooting arrows from above and finally driving a spear tipped with lead into her fiery throat. The lead melted in the heat and destroyed her from within. The word “chimera” has survived into modern usage to describe an illusion, a fantasy, or something unattainable.