Editing Pegasus (section)

== Etymology ==
[[File:Marlik cup iran.jpg|thumb|Pegasus on ancient cup of [[Marlik]]]]
The poet [[Hesiod]] presents a [[folk etymology]] of the name ''Pegasus'' as derived from {{lang|grc|πηγή}} {{Transliteration|grc|pēgē}} 'spring, well', referring to "the ''pegai'' of [[Oceanus|Okeanos]], where he was born".<ref>Noted by [[Károly Kerényi|Karl Kerényi]], ''The Heroes of the Greeks'', 1959:80: "In the name Pegasos itself the connection with a spring, ''pege'', is expressed."</ref>

A proposed etymology of the name is [[Luwian language|Luwian]] {{Transliteration|xlu|pihassas}} 'lightning', and {{Transliteration|hit|Pihassassi}}, a local Luwian-[[Hittite language|Hittite]] name in southern [[Cilicia]] of a weather deity associated with thunder and lightning. The proponents of this etymology adduce the role of Pegasus, reported as early as [[Hesiod]], as the bringer of thunderbolts to Zeus. That interpretation was first suggested in 1952 and remains widely accepted,<ref>The connection of ''Pegasus'' with ''Pihassas'' was suggested by H.T. Bossert, "Die phönikisch-hethitischen Bilinguen vom Karatepe", ''Jahrbuch für kleinasiatische Forschung'', '''2''' 1952/53:333, P. Frei, "Die Bellerophontessaga und das Alte Testament", in B. Janowski, K. Koch and G. Wilhelm, eds., ''Religionsgeschichtliche Beziehungen zwischen Kleinasien, Nordsyrien und der Alte Testament'', 1993:48f, and Hutter, "Der luwische Wettergott ''pihašsašsi'' under der griechischen Pegasos", in Chr. Zinko, ed. ''Studia Onomastica et Indogermanica...'' 1995:79–98. Commentary was provided by [[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]] in his ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 1183.</ref> but [[Robin Lane Fox]] (2009) has criticized it as implausible.<ref>"a storm god is not the origin of a horse. However, he had a like-sounding name, and Greek visitors to [[Cilicia]] may have connected their existing Pegasus with [[Zeus]]'s lightning after hearing about this 'Pihassassi' and his functions and assuming, wrongly, he was their own Pegasus in a foreign land."  Robin Lane Fox, ''Travelling Heroes in the Epic Age of Homer'', Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009, {{ISBN|9780307271518}}, pp. 207ff.</ref>