CERBERUS (Kerberos) - Three-Headed Hound of Hades of Greek Mythology Death-Darkness? Heracles and Cerberus the hound of Hades, Caeretan black-figure hydria C6th B.C., Musée du Louvre KERBEROS (Cerberus) was the gigantic, three-headed hound of Haides which guarded the gates of the underworld and prevented the escape of the shades of the dead. Kerberos was depicted as a three-headed dog with a serpent's tail, mane of snakes, and a lion's claws. According to some he had fifty heads although this count may have included the serpents of his mane. Herakles (Heracles) was sent to fetch Kerberos as one of his twelve labours, a task which he accomplished with the aid of the goddess Persephone . Kerberos' name perhaps means "Death-Daemon of the Dark" from the ancient Greek words kêr and erebos.

FAMILY OF CERBERUS [1.1] TYPHOEUS & EKHIDNA (Hesiod Theogony 310, Quintus Smyrnaeus 6.260, Hyginus Pref & Fab 30) [1.2] EKHIDNA (Bacchylides Frag 5, Ovid Metamorphoses 7.412) ENCYCLOPEDIA CE′RBERUS (Kerberos), the many-headed dog that guarded the entrance of Hades, is mentioned as early as the Homeric poems, but simply as "the dog," and without the name of Cerberus. (Il. viii. 368, Od. xi. 623.) Hesiod, who is the first that gives his name and origin, calls him (Theog. 311) fifty-headed and a son of Typhaon and Echidna. Later writers describe him as a monster with only three heads, with the tail of a serpent and a mane consisting of the heads of various snakes. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 12; Eurip. Here. fur.

24, 611; Virg. Aen. vi. 417; Ov. Met. iv. 449.) Some poets again call him many-headed or hundred-headed. (Horat. Carm. ii. 13. 34; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 678; Senec. Here. fur. 784.) The place where Cerberus kept watch was according to some at the mouth of the Acheron, and according to others at the gates of Hades, into which he admitted the shades, but never let them out again. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. ALTERNATE NAMES Heracles, Cerberus and Hecate, Apulian red-figure volute krater C4th B.C., Staatliche Antikensammlungen Homer, Iliad 8. 366 ff (trans.

Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "If in the wiliness of my heart I [Athene] had had thoughts like his, when Herakles (Heracles) was sent down to Haides of the Gates, to hale back from Erebos (the Dark) the hound of the grisly death god (Haides Stygeros), never would he have got clear of the steep-dripping water Styx." [N.B. In Homer the dog is just called "the hound of Haides." Hesiod is the first author to give it the name Kerberos (Cerberus).] Homer, Odyssey 11. 623 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "[The ghost of Herakles addresses Odysseus in Hades :] ‘He [Eurystheus] once sent me even here [to Haides] to fetch away the hound of Haides, for he thought no task could be more fearsome for me than that.

But I brought the hound out of Haides' house and up to earth, because Hermes helped me on my way, and gleaming-eyed Athene.’" Hesiod, Theogony 310 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) : "Typhaon [Typhoeus] . . . was joined in love to her [Ekhidna (Echidna)] . . .

And next again she bore the unspeakable, unmanageable Kerberos (Cerberus), the savage, the bronze-barking dog of Haides, fifty-headed, and powerful, and without pity." Hesiod, Theogony 769 ff : "And before them [the halls of Haides and Persephone] a dreaded hound (deinos kunos) [Kerberos (Cerberus)], on watch, who has no pity, but a vile stratagem : as people go in he fawns on all, with actions of his tail and both ears, but he will not let them go back out, but lies in wait for them and eats them up, when he catches any going back through the gates." Bacchylides, Fragment 5 (trans. Campbell, Vol.

Greek Lyric IV) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) : "Once, they say, the gate-wrecking, unconquerable son [Herakles] of thunder-flashing Zeus went down to the house of slender-ankled Persephone to fetch up to the light from Hades the jagged-toothed dog [Kerberos (Cerberus)], son of unapproachable Ekhidna (Echidna). There he perceived the spirits of wretched mortals by the waters of Kokytos (Cocytus), like the leaves buffeted by the wind over the bright sheep-grazed headlands of Ida." Aristophanes, Peace 315 ff (trans.

O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) : "[Comedy Play in which Eirene (Irene), goddess of peace, has been trapped in a deep pit :] Let us beware lest the cursed Kerberos (Cerberus) prevent us even from the nethermost hell from delivering the goddess by his furious howling, just as he did when on earth." Aristophanes, Frogs 468 ff : "[Comedy-Play in which Aiakos (Aeacus), the gateman of Haides, berates Herakles :] ‘O, you most shameless desperate ruffian, you O, villain, villain, arrant vilest villain! Who seized our Kerberos (Cerberus) by the throat, and fled, and ran, and rushed, and bolted, haling of the dog, my charge!’" Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2, 125 (trans.

Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "Herakles asked Pouton (Pluton) [Haides] for Kerberos (Cerberus), and was told to take the hound if he could overpower it without using any of the weapons he had brought with him. He found Kerberos at the gates of Akheron (Acheron), and there, pressed inside his armour and totally covered by the lion's skin, he threw his arms round its head and hung on, despite bites from the serpent-tail, until he convinced the beast with his choke-hold. Then, with it in tow, he made his ascent through Troizenos (Troezen). After showing Kerberos to Eurystheus, he took it back to Haides' realm." Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 122 : "As a twelfth labour Herakles was to fetch Kerberos (Cerberus) from Haides' realm. Kerberos had three dog-heads, a serpent for a tail, and along his back the heads of all kinds of snakes." Callimachus, Fragment 515 (trans.

Trypanis) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) : "The foreigner [Herakles] bringing the monstrous son [Kerberos (Cerberus)] of Ekhidna (Echidna) from below." Euphorion, Fragments (trans. Page, Vol. Select Papyri III, No. 121 (1)) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) : "Behind, under his [Kerberos (Cerberus)] shaggy belly cowering, the serpents that were his tail darted their tongues about his ribs. Within his eyes, a beam flashed darkly. Truly in the Forges or in Meligounis leap such sparks into the air, when iron is beaten with hammers, and the anvil roars beneath might blows,--or up inside smoke Aitna (Etna), lair of Asteropos.

Still, he came alive to Tiryns out of Haides, the last of twelve labours, for the pleasure of malignant Eurystheus; and at the crossways of Mideia, rich in barley, trembling women with their children looked upon him." Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 6. 260 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) : "[Depicted on the shield of Herakles' son Eurypylos (Eurypylus) :] And there, a dread sight even for gods to see, was Kerberos (Cerberus), whom Ekhidna (Echidna, the Loathly Worm) had borne to Typhon [Typhoeus] in a craggy cavern's gloom close on the borders of Eternal Night (Erebos), a hideous monster, warder of the Gate of Haides, home of Wailing, jailer-hound of dead folk in the shadowy Gulf of Doom.

But lightly Zeus' son [Herakles] with his crashing blows tamed him, and haled him from the cataract flood of Styx, with heavy-drooping head, and dragged the Dog sore loth to the strange upper air all dauntlessly." Heracles and Cerberus, Athenian red-figure amphora C6th B.C., Musée du Louvre Plato, Republic 588c (trans. Shorey) (Greek philosopher C4th B.C.) : "One of those natures that the ancient fables tell of, as that of the Khimaira (Chimera) or Skylla (Scylla) or Kerberos (Cerberus), and the numerous other examples that are told of many forms grown together in one." Strabo, Geography 8. 5. 1 (trans. Jones) (Greek geographer C1st B.C.

to C1st A.D.) : "A headland that projects into the sea, Tainaron (Taenarum), with its temple of Poseidon situated in a grove; and secondly, near by, to the cavern through which, according to the myth writers, Kerberos (Cerberus) was brought up from Haides by Herakles." Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 35. 10 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "[At Hermione in Argolis] are three places which the Hermionians call that of Klymenos (Clymenus, the Famous One) [i.e. of Haides], that of Plouton (Pluton, of Wealth) [Haides], and the Lake Akherousia (Acherusia). All are surrounded by fences of stones, while in the place of Klymenos there is also a chasm in the earth. Through this according to the legend of the Hermionians, Herakles brought up the Hound of Haides [Kerberos (Cerberus)]." Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 25.

5 - 7 : "On the promontory [of Tainaron (Taenarum), Lakonia] is a temple like a cave, with a statue of Poseidon in front of it. Some of the Greek poets state that Herakles brought up the Hound of Haides (Haidou kuna) [Kerberos (Cerberus)] here, though there is no road that leads underground through the cave, and it is not easy to believe that the gods possess any underground dwelling where the souls collect. But Hekataios (Hecataeus) of Miletos gave a plausible explanation, stating that a terrible serpent lived on Tainaron, and was called the Hound of Hades, because any one bitten was bound to die of the poison at once, and it was this snake, he said, that was brought by Herakles to Eurystheus. But Homer, who was the first to call the creature brought by Herakles the Hound of Haides, did not give it a name or describe it as of manifold form, as he did the Khimaira (Chimera).

Late poets gave the name Kerberos, and though in other respects they made him resemble a dog, they say that he had three heads. Homer, however, does not imply that he was a dog, the friend of man, any more than if he called a real serpent the Hound of Hades." Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 31. 2 : "[In the temple of Artemis at Troizenos (Troezen) in Argolis :] . . . are altars to the gods said to rule under the earth. It is here that they say . . . that Herakles dragged up the Hound of Haides [Kerberos (Cerberus)]." Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 18. 10 - 16 : "[Illustrated on the throne of the statue of Apollon at Amyklai (Amyclae) near Sparta :] On the left stand Ekhidna (Echidna) and Typhos [Typhoeus], on the right Tritones . . .

Next to these have been wrought two of the exploits of Herakles--his slaying of the Hydra, and his bringing up the Hound of Hell (kuna ton Haidou) [Kerberos (Cerberus)]." Pausanias, Description of Greece5. 26. 7 : "By the smaller offerings of Mikythos (Micythus) [at Olympia] . . . are some of the exploits of Herakles, including what he did to the Nemeian Lion , the Hydra, the Hound of Hell (kuna tou Haidou) [Kerberos (Cerberus)], and the boar by the river Erymanthos." Pausanias, Description of Greece 9. 34. 5 : "Here [on Mount Laphystios in Boiotia], say the Boiotians, Herakles ascended with the hound of Hades (kuna Haidou) [Kerberos (Cerberus)]." Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4. 25. 1 (trans.

Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) : "He [Herakles] received a command from Eurystheus to bring Kerberos (Cerberus) up from Hades to the light of day. And assuming that it would be to his advantage for the accomplishment of this Labour, he went to Athens and took part in the Eleusinian Mysteries, Musaios (Musaeus), the son of Orpheus, being at that time in charge of the initiatory rites . . . Herakles then, according to the myths which have come down to us, descended into the realm of Hades, and being welcomed like a brother by Persephone brought Theseus and Peirithous back to the upper world after freeing them from their bonds. This he accomplished by the favour of Persephone, and receiving the dog Kerberos in chains he carried him away to the amazement of all and exhibited him to men." Plutarch, Life of Nisias 1. 3 (trans.

Perrin) (Greek historian C1st to C2nd A.D.) : "The goddess Kore (Core) [Persephone] who delivered Kerberos (Cerberus) into his [Herakles'] hands." Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "From Typhon and Echidna [was born] . . . Cerberus." Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 30 : "He [Herakles (Heracles)] brought from the Lower World for the king to see, the dog Cerberus, offspring of Typhon." - Hyginus, Fabulae 30 Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 32 : "Hercules had been sent for the three-headed dog [Cerberus] by King Eurystheus." Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 151 : "From Typhon the giant and Echidna were born . . .

the three-headed dog Cerberus." Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 251 : "Those who, by permission of the Parcae (Fates) [Moirai], returned from the lower world . . . Hercules, son of Jove [Zeus], to bring up the dog Cerberus." Heracles, Hermes and Cerberus, Athenian red-figure kylix C6th B.C., Museum of Fine Arts Boston Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 450 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "The Stygian city and the cruel court of swarthy Dis [Haides] . . . she [the goddess Juno-Hera] entered and the threshold groaned under the holy tread.

Immediately Cerberus sprang at her with his three heads and gave three barks together." Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.500 ff : "[The Erinys] Tisiphone brought with her poisons too of magic power [to cause madness] : lip-froth of Cerberus, the Echidna's venom, wild deliriums, blindnesses of the brain, and crime and tears, and maddened lust for murder; all ground up, mixed with fresh blood, boiled in a pan of bronze, and stirred with a green hemlock stick." Ovid, Metamorphoses 7. 412 : "For that son's [Theseus'] death Medea mixed her poisoned aconite, brought with her long ago from Scythicae's (Scythia's) shores, said to be slobbered by Echidnaea [i.e. Kerberos (Cerberus), son of Ekhidna].

There is a cavern yawning dark and deep, and there a falling track where Hero Tirynthius [Herakles of Tiryns] dragged struggling, blinking, screwing up his eyes against the sunlight and the blinding day, the hell-hound Cerberus, fast on a chain of adamant. His three throats filled the air with triple barking, barks of frenzied rage, and spattered the green meadows with white spume. This, so men think, congealed and, nourished by the rich rank soil, gained poisonous properties. And since they grow and thrive on hard bare rocks the farm folk call them ‘flintworts’--aconites. This poison Aegeus, by Medea's guile, offered to Theseus as his enemy, father to son." Ovid, Metamorphoses 9. 184 : "I [Herakles (Heracles) ] faced unafraid Cerberus' triple heads." Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.

21 ff : "[Orpheus addresses Haides, king of the underworld :] ‘I have come down not with intent to see the glooms of Tartara, nor to enchain the triple-snaked necks of Medusaeum [Kerberos (Cerberus)].’" Ovid, Metamorphoses 10. 65 ff : "His wits were stolen away, like him [unknown man] who saw in dread [Kerberos (Cerberus)] the three-necked hound of Hell with chains fast round his middle neck, and never lost his terror till he lost his nature too and turned to stone." Ovid, Heroides 9. 37 ff (trans. Showerman) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "[Deianeira, wife of Herakles, laments :] ‘My lord is ever absent from me . . . ever pursuing monsters and dreadful beasts.

I myself, at home and widowed, am busied with chaste prayers, in torment lest my husband fall by the savage foe; with serpents and with boars and ravening lions my imaginings are full, and with hounds three-throated [i.e. Kerberos (Cerberus)] hard upon the prey.’" Ovid, Heroides 9. 87 ff : "[Herakles] told of the deeds . . . Cerberus, branching from one trunk into a three-fold dog, his hair inwoven with the threatening snake." Virgil, Aeneid 6. 417 ff (trans. Day-Lewis) (Roman epic C1st B.C.) : "Huge Cerberus, monstrously couched in a cave confronting them, made the whole region echo with this three-throated barking. The Sibyl, seeing the snakes bristling upon his neck now, threw him for bait a cake for honey and wheat infused with sedative drugs.

The creature, crazy with hunger, opened its three mouths, gobbled the bait; then its huge body relaxed and lay, sprawled out on the ground, the whole length of its cave kennel. Aeneas, passing its entrance, the watch-dog neutralize, strode rapidly from the bank of that river [Styx] of no return." Virgil, Georgics 4. 471 ff (trans. Fairclough) (Roman bucolic C1st B.C.) : "Stirred by his [Orpheus'] song, up from the lowest realms of Erebeus came the unsubstantial shades . . . Still more: the very house of Death and deepest abysses of Tartarus were spellbound, and the Eumenides [Erinyes] with livid snakes entwined in their hair; Cerberus stood agape and his triple jaws forgot to bark." Propertius, Elegies 3. 5 (trans. Goold) (Roman elegy C1st B.C.) : "Cerberus guards the cave of hell with his three throats." Propertius, Elegies 3.

18 : "Hither [to Haides] all shall come, hither the highest and the lowest class: evil it is, but it is a path that all must tread; all must assuage the three heads of the barking guard-dog [Kerberos (Cerberus)] and embark on the grisly greybeard's [Kharon's (Charon's)] boat that no one misses." Propertius, Elegies 4. 5 : "May your spirit find no peace with your ashes, but may avenging Cerberus terrify your vile bones with hungry howl." Propertius, Elegies 4. 7 : "Spurn not the dreams that come through the Righteous Gate [from the dead]: when righteous dreams come, they have the weight of truth. By night we [the ghosts of the dead] drift abroad, night frees imprisoned Shades, and even Cerberus casts aside his chains and strays." Propertius, Elegies 4.

9 : "Only to one mortal [Herakles] has the Stygian darkness become light and Cerberus has howled to find himself dragged off against the will of Dis [Haides]?" Propertius, Elegies 4. 11 : "Let fierce Cerberus rush at no Shades today, but let his chain hang slack from a silent bolt." Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3. 17 (trans. Rackham) (Roman rhetorician C1st B.C.) : "Orcus [Haides] is also a god; and the fabled streams of the lower world, Acheron, Cocytus and Pyriphlegethon, and also Charon and also Cerberus are to be deemed gods. No, you say, we must draw the line at that; well then, Orcus is not a god either." Cerberus, Laconian black-figure kylix C6th B.C., National Archaeological Museum of Taranto Seneca, Hercules Furens 46 ff (trans.

Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) : "[Hera complains about Herakles :] ‘Nor is earth vast enough for him [Herakles (Heracles)]; behold, he has broken down the doors of infernal Jove [Haides], and brings back to the upper world the spoils of a conquered king [i.e. the hound Kerberos (Cerberus)]. I myself saw, yes, saw him, the shadows of nether night dispersed and Dis [Haides] overthrown, proudly displaying to his father [Zeus] a brother's spoils. Why does he not drag forth, bound and loaded down with fetters, Pluto [Haides] himself, who drew a lot equal to Jove's [Zeus']? Why does he not lord it over conquered Erebus and lay bare the Styx? It is not enough merely to return; the law of the shades has been annulled, a way back has been opened from the lowest ghosts, and the mysteries of dread Death lie bared. But he, exultant at having burst the prison of the shades, triumphs over me, and with arrogant hand leads through the cities of Greece that dusky hound.

I saw the daylight shrink at sight of Cerberus, and the sun pale with fear; upon me, too, terror came, and as I gazed upon the three necks of the conquered monster I trembled at my own command.’" Seneca, Hercules Furens 598 & 782 ff : "[Herakles upon returning with Kerberos (Cerberus) describes his journey to the underworld :] ‘Whoever [of the gods] from on high looks down on things of earth, and would not be defiled by a strange, new sight, let him turn away his gaze, lift his eyes to heaven, and shun the portent. Let only two look on this monster [Kerberos (Cerberus)]--him who brought and her who ordered it. To appoint me penalties and tasks earth is not broad enough for Juno's [Hera's] hate. I have seen places unapproached by any, unknown to Phoebus [the sun], those gloomy spaces which the baser pole hath yielded to infernal Jove [Haides]; and if the regions of the third estate pleased me, I might have reigned.

The chaos of everlasting night, and something worse than night, and the grim gods and the fates--all these I saw and, having flouted death, I have come back. What else remains? I have seen and revealed the lower world. If aught is left to do, give it to me, O Juno [Hera]; too long already dost thou let my hands lie idle. What dost thou bid me conquer?’ [Amphitryon addresses Theseus :] ‘. . . Unfold his heroic deeds in order; tell how long a way leads to the gloomy shades, and how the Tartarean dog bore his galling bonds.’ [Theseus :] ‘Next after this [the boat of Kharon (Charon)] there appears the palace of greedy Dis [Haides]. Here the savage Stygian dog [Kerberos (Cerberus)] frightens the shades; tossing back and forth his triple heads, with huge bayings he guards the realm. Around his head, foul with corruption, serpents lap, his shaggy man bristles with vipers, and in his twisted tail a long snake hisses. His rage matches his shape.

Soon as he feels the stir of feet he raises his head, rough with darting snakes, and with ears erect catches at the onsped sound, wont as he is to hear even the shades. When [Herakles] the son of Jove stood closer, within his cave the dog crouches hesitant and feels a touch of fear. Then suddenly, with deep bayings, he terrifies the silent places; the snakes hiss threateningly along all his shoulders. The clamour of his dreadful voice, issuing from triple throats, fills even the blessed shades with dread. Then from his left arm the hero looses the fierce-grinning jaws, thrusts out before him the Cleonaean head and, beneath that huge shield crouching, plies his mighty club with victorious right hand. Now here, now there, with unremitting blows he whirls it, redoubling the strokes. At last the dog, vanquished ceases his threatenings and, spent with struggle, lowers all his heads and yields all wardship of his cavern. Both rulers [Haides and Persephone] shiver on their throne, and bid lead the dog away.

Me also [Theseus trapped in Haides] they give as boon to Alcides' prayer. ‘Then, stroking the monster's sullen necks, he binds him with chains of adamant. Forgetful of himself, the watchful guardian of the dusky realm droops his ears, trembling and willing to be led, owns his master, and with muzzle lowered follows after, beating both his sides with snaky tail. But when he came to the Taenarian borders, and the strange gleam of unknown light smote on his eyes, though conquered he regained his courage and in frenzy shook his ponderous chains. Almost he bore his conqueror away, back dragging him, forward bent, and forced him to give ground. Then even to my aid Alcides [Herakles] looked, and with our twofold strength we drew the dog along, mad with rage and attempting fruitless war, and brought him out to earth.

But when he saw the bright light of day and viewed the clear spaces of the shining sky, black night rose over him and he turned his gaze to ground, closed tight his eyes and shut out the hated light; backward he turned his face and with all his necks sought the earth; then in the shadow of Hercules he hid his head.’" Seneca, Hercules Furens 984 ff : "Cruel Tisiphone [one of the Erinyes (Furies)] . . . since the dog [Kerberos (Cerberus)] was stolen away [by Herakles] has blocked the empty gate [of Haides] with her outstretched torch." Seneca, Hercules Furens 1107 ff : "Fierce Cerberus, crouching in his lowest cave, his necks still bound with chains." Seneca, Oedipus 160 ff : "[Drought and pestilence ravage the city of Thebes :] They have burst the bars of abysmal Erebus, the throng of sisters with Tartarean torch [i.e. the Erinyes, (Furies)] . . .

Dark Mors (Death) [Thanatos], death opens wide his greedy, gaping jaws and unfolds all his wings . . . Nay more, they say that the dog [Kerberos (Cerberus)] has burst his chains of Taenarian iron, and is wandering through our fields; that the earth has rumbled; that ghosts go stealing through the groves, larger than mortal forms." Seneca, Oedipus 559 ff : "[The Theban seer Teiresias (Tiresias) performs the rites of necromancy :] Then he summons the spirits of the dead, and thee who rulest the spirits [Haides], and him [Kerberos (Cerberus)] who blocks the entrance to the Lethaean stream; o'er and o'er and o'er he repeats a magic rune, and fiercely, with frenzied lips, he chants a charm which either appeases or compels the flitting ghosts . . . the whole place was shaken and the ground was stricken from below . . . blind Chaos is burst open, and for the tribes of Dis [Haides] a way is given to the upper world . . .

in mad rage three-headed Cerberus shook his heavy chains." Seneca, Phaedra 222 ff : "Trust not in Dis [Haides]. Though he bar his realm, and though the Stygian dog [Kerberos (Cerberus)] keep guard o'er the grim doors, Theseus alone finds out forbidden ways." Seneca, Phaedra 843 ff : "Alcides [Herakles] . . . when he dragged the dog [Kerberos (Cerberus)] by violence out of Tartarus, brought me [Theseus], too, along with him to the upper world." Seneca, Troades 402 ff : "Taenarus and the cruel tyrant's [Haides] kingdom and Cerberus, guarding the portal of no easy passage." Hermes, Cerberus and Heracles, Athenian black-figure hydria C6th B.C., Toledo Museum of Art Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 3. 224 (trans.

Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : "[The Titan] Coeus in the lowest pit [of Tartaros] burst the adamantine bonds and trailing Jove's [Zeus'] fettering chains . . . conceives a hope of scaling heaven, yet though he repass the rivers and the gloom [Kerberos (Cerberus)] the hound of the Furiai (Furies) [Erinyes] and the sprawling Hydra's crest [the two guardians of Haides] repel him." Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 6. 110 ff : "Baying [of Hounds] loud as that which rings at the grim gate of Dis [Haides] [i.e. the bark of Kerberos, Cerberus] or from Hecate's escort to the world above." Statius, Thebaid 2. 27 (trans.

Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : "Cerberus lying on the murky threshold perceived them, and reared up with all his mouths wide agape, fierce even to entering folk; but now his black neck swelled up all threatening, now had he torn and scattered their bones upon the ground, had not the god [Hermes] with branch Lethaean soothed his bristling frame and quelled with threefold slumber the steely glare." Statius, Thebaid 2. 52 ff : "The baying of death's tri-formed warder [Kerberos (Cerberus)] has scared the rustics from the fields [around the entrance to Haides at Tainaron]." Statius, Thebaid 4. 410 ff : "[Teiresias (Tiresias) performs the rites of nekromankia summoning ghosts from the underworld :] ‘Nor let Cerberus interpose his heads, and turn aside the ghosts that lack the light.’" Statius, Thebaid 8.

53 ff : "Fierce Alcides [Herakles] [provoked Haides], when the iron threshold of Cerberus' gate fell silent, its guardian removed." Statius, Silvae 2. 1. 183 ff (trans. Mozley) (Roman poetry C1st A.D.) : "Lay aside thy fears [for the beloved dead], and be no more in dread of threatening Letus (Death) [Thanatos]: Cerberus with triple jaws will not bark at him." Statius, Silvae 2. 1. 228 ff : "Neither the ferryman [Kharon (Charon)] nor the comrade [the Hydra] of the cruel beast [Kerberos (Cerberus)] bars the way [to the Underworld] to innocent souls." Statius, Silvae 3. 3. 21 ff : "Tis a happy shade that is coming, ay, too happy, for his son laments him. Avaunt, ye hissing Furiae (Furies) [Erinyes], avaunt the threefold guardian [Kerberos (Cerberus)]!

Let the long road lie clear for the peerless spirits." Statius, Silvae 5. 3. 260 ff : "But do ye, O monarchs of the dead and thou, Ennean Juno [Persephone], if ye approve my prayer [provide a peaceful journey for the soul of my dead father] . . . let the warder of the gate [Kerberos (Cerberus)] make no fierce barking." Apuleius, The Golden Ass 1. 15 ff (trans. Walsh) (Roman novel C2nd A.D.) : "At that moment, as I recall, the earth yawned open [by the power of witches]. I caught a glimpse of Tartarus deep below, and of Cerberus waiting to make a meal of me to relive his hunger." Apuleius, The Golden Ass 6. 19 ff : "[Psykhe (Psyche) is given instructions for her journey down into the underworld :] When you have crossed the river [Akheron (Acheron)] and have advanced a little further, some aged women weaving at the loom will beg you to lend a hand for a short time.

But you are not permitted to touch that either, for all these and many other distractions are part of the ambush which Venus [Aphrodite] will set to induce you to release one of the cakes from your hands. Do not imaging that the loss of a mere barley cake is a trivial matter, for if you relinquish either of them, the daylight of this world above will be totally denied you. Posted there is [Kerberos (Cerberus)] a massive hound with a huge, triple-formed head. This monstrous, fearsome brute confronts the dead with thunderous barking, though his menaces are futile since he can do them no harm. He keeps constant guard before the very threshold and the dark hall of Proserpina [Persephone], protecting that deserted abode of Dis [Haides]. You must disarm him by offering him a cake as his spoils. Then you can easily pass him, and gain immediate access to Proserpina herself . . . When you have obtained what she gives you, you must make your way back, using the remaining cake to neutralize the dog's savagery." ANCIENT GREEK ART Who is Cerberus? Who is Cerberus?

Courtesy: Main Image: Cerberus, in Greek Mythology is the three- headed dog guarding the gates of the Hades which is the world of the dead. Cerberus was a faithful guardian of Hades whose job was to guard the underworld by refusing entry to any living being trying to gain access to the world of the dead and to devour the dead who tried to return to the land of living beings. Fetching Cerberus from the underworld was the last or twelfth labor of Heracles. Content How is Cerberus represented in Art? What is the etymology of the name Cerberus? The name “Cerberus” has its origin in Latin and is derived from the Greek version “Kerberos”. The pronounciation in Greek and Latin is similar to the pronunciation of the letter C in cat. The English pronunciation is generally with a soft C as in soap . Cerberus is the offspring of Typhon - the giant and the monstrous creature Echinda who was half snake and half woman. In ancient depictions, Cerberus was portrayed with fifty to hundred heads and having a serpent’s tail. But later, Cerberus was pictured with three heads.

The Siblings of Cerberus include Lernaean Hydra , the Sphinx, the Nemean Lion, the Chimera and the Ladon. How is Cerberus related to the Twelfth Labor of Heracles? Heracles was given the task of kidnapping Cerberus alive as part of the final or Twelfth labor given to Heracles by King Eurystheus. In order to succeed in this task Heracles gets initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries by which he learns to gain access and exit from the underworld alive. After a series of adventures, Heracles finds Hades and seeks his permission to fetch Cerberus. Hades permits Heracles provided he can capture Cerberus without the use of weapons. Heracles succeeds in overpowering the creature and brings it alive to Eurystheus. After Cerberus was captured, he was set free by Heracles, so that he could get back to the duty of protecting the underworld. What is the place of Cerberus in Literature? Cerberus was an important part of notable works in Greek and Roman Literature.

Which include the Story of Orpheus in Symposium(by Plato), Virgil’s Aeneid, the Labours of Hercules, Homer’s Illiad and Hesiods Theogony in which Cerberus is described as having fifty heads. In most depictions in Literature, Cerberus is portrayed as a fierce creature guarding the Kingdom of Hades. Cerbreus allows the dead to enter Hades but never to leave. However a few who manage to get the better off the creature include Orpheus who lulls Cerberus to sleep by the power of his lyre and Heracles who brings Cerberus for some time to the world of the living as part of his twelfth labor. In Roman Literature, Aeneas and Psyche succeed in pacifying Cerberus with a honey cake. How is Cerberus represented in Art? Cerberus is commonly depicted in Greek with three-heads, live serpents for hair a sin Medusa’s hair and a serpent’s tail. The three heads are representative of the present, future and the past. They may also be depicted to represent “birth, youth and old age”.

Cerberus is mostly depicted as the faithful guardian of Hades allowing the spirits to enter the underworld but allowing no one to leave. External References Cerbslair.com - the Lair of Cerberus! CERBERUS (sir-bér-us): The hideous three headed Hellhound from Greek Mythology that guarded the gates of Hades. Cerberus, in Greek mythology, a three-headed, dragon-tailed dog that guarded the entrance to the lower world, otherwise known as Hades. According to Horace, Cerberus possessed one hundred heads. Hesiod is content to give him fifty, but most sources agree that he had only three. The center one was that of a lion, while on one side was that of a dog, and on the other was that of a wolf. His shape was that of the dogs who haunted the battlefields in the dark of the night, feasting on the bodies of the fallen warriors. Cerberus' father was Typhon, a huge dragon-like monster. His mother Echidna had the head and torso of a beautiful woman, though the lower part of her body was that of a speckled serpent.

She liked to dwell in a cave where she ate men raw. With her husband Typhon she raised a monstrous brood which included the Hydra, the Chimaera, Orthrus, and, some say, the Sphinx. Cerberus was the watchdog of hell. There he lay, chained to the gates of Acheron, fawning on the spirits entering Hades and devouring those who tried to escape. His Egyptian incarnation was Anubis, the dog who guarded the tombs and conducted the souls to the underworld Only a few heroes ever escaped Cerberus's guard; the great musician Orpheus charmed it with his lyre, and the Greek hero Hercules captured it bare-handed and brought it for a short time from the underworld to the regions above. In Roman mythology both the beautiful maiden Psyche and the Trojan prince Aeneas were able to pacify Cerberus with a honey cake and thus continue their journey through the underworld. Cerberus is sometimes pictured with a mane of snakes and 50 heads. Hercules last and most difficult labor was to bring Cerberus up from Hades. When the fearless hero found the hellhound, he applied a swift strangle-hold to the monster's throat.

Cerberus' barbed and poisonous tail whipped the air but, unable to pierce the lion pelt, the monster soon choked and yielded. Hercules bound him with adamantine chains and dragged him to the upper world. As Cerberus vehemently resisted his captor, barking furiously with all three mouths, his slaver dripped on some fields, giving birth to a poisonous plant called aconite; thus named because it flourishes on bare rocks. It is also known as 'hecateis,' because Hecate were the first to use it. Medea tried to poison Theseus with it, and the Thessalian witches used it in preparing the ointment which enabled them to fly. In medieval times, French witches concocted a similar ointment. Its main ingredients were aconite, abortificient parsley, bat's blook (to assist nocturnal vision), belladonna, hemlock, and cowbane. The modern name for aconite is wolfsbane. In the Aeneid, the Trojan hero, Aeneas descends to Tartarus to visit his father Anchises.

He is escorted by the Bybil of Cumae, and upon encountering 'huge Cerberus barking from his triple jaws, stretched at his enormous length in a den that fronts the gate,' she throws him a cake seasoned with honey and poppy seeds. Now Cerberus, 'his neck bristling with horrid snakes, opening his three mouths in the mad rage of hunger, snatches the offered morsel, and spreads on the ground, relaxes his enormous limbs, lies now extended at the vast length over all the cave. Aeneas, now that hell's keeper is buried in sleep, seizes the passage and swiftly over-passes the bank of that flood whence there is no return.' Ancient Greeks and Romans placed a coin and a small cake in the hands of their deceased. The coin was meant as payment for Charon who ferried the souls across the river Styx, while the cake helped to pacify Cerberus. This custom gave rise to the expression 'to give a sop to Cerberus,' meaning to give a bribe or to quiet a troublesome customer. In Dante's Inferno, Cerberus was the tormenting genius of the third circle.

There the gluttonous and incontinent souls could be found immersed in turbid water. Hail and snow poured down through the dark air upon their grimacing faces. Cerberus took care to see that each soul received its due share of torment: 'Cerberus, a monster fierce and strange, with three throats, barks dog-like over those that are immersed in it. His eyes are red, his beard greasy and black, his belly wide, and clawed his hands; he clutches the spirits, flays and piecemeal renders them. When Cerberus, the great Worm, perceived us, he opened his mouth and showed his tusks: no limb of him kept still. My guide, spreading his palms, took up earth; and, with full fists, cast it into his ravening gullets. As the dog, that barking craves, and grows quiet when he bites his food, for he strains and battles only to devour it: so did those squalid visages of Cerberus the Demon, who thunders on the spirits so, that they would fain be deaf.' Medieval authors report that Cerberus openly stalks the surface of the earth, mingling with mankind.

He is described as possessing a violent and hurtful nature, and is known to plot and endeavor brutal and sudden mischief. As one commentator says: 'When he makes incursions sometimes he lies hidden and sometimes he offers open violence; he is much delighted in al things done wickedly and mischievously.' He is also said to be a marquis in the demonic hierarchy of hell, a rank which puts him at the head of nineteen legions of demons. Return to main page. Ancient Greek Myth for Kids: The Capture of Cerberus - The 12 Labors of Hercules - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids An Ancient Greek Myth for Kids The 12th Labor of Hercules The Capture of Cerberus His 12th and final labor was to descend into the underworld, and bring back Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guarded the gate to underworld, home of the powerful god, Hades. Hercules knew how much Hades loved that fierce, bad tempered dog. Hercules asked Hades' permission to briefly capture Cerberus, and told him why. Hades agreed that Hercules could try, as long as he used no weapons and did not hurt poor Cerberus. Hercules used his bare hands.

He scooped all three heads up at once, and strangled Cerberus until he was unconscious. He gently carried the dog off to King Eury's. Cerberus began to regain consciousness as Hercules approached the king. The king scurried behind his royal throne. Hercules explained he had to get the dog home right away. King Eury stuck his head out from behind his throne and quickly agreed that Hercules should leave immediately. Hercules promised to be right back. After Hercules delivered Cerberus safely home, Hercules quickly returned to the palace, eager to be granted immortality. But Hera was nowhere to be found. Neither was King Eury. It was Zeus who granted Hercules immortality. Zeus proudly brought his son Hercules up to the heavens. Cerberus - mythical creature Cerberus Wanted as a pet (72 votes). Your rating? #0662 Cave Dweller (attribute) Deadly (behaviour) The three-headed dog of Greek mythology that guarded the gates of Hades. Originally he was described by Hesoid the poet as having fifty heads with snakes long its back and body. His function was to not allow any living man to enter Hades.

All people who died were destined to go to Hades but those who had done wrong would be punished there. It was born from Typhon and Echidna. Cerberus was deadly and terrifying, anyone who looked upon him would be turned to stone. Orpheus from Thracia was able to sneak pass by playing lyre to lull the beast to sleep. He then ventured into Hades to find his long lost love, Eurydice the Nymph who had died from a poisonous snake bite. Orpheus then used his lure to enchant the boatman Charon who ferried him across the Sytx lake. Hades and his wife Persephone granted Orpheus his wish and him and his wife could return to the surface as long as he did not look back at her. Before reaching the surface of the earth he glanced back at Eurydice. Eurydice immediately turned to a Ghost and Orpheus was killed by the Maendas, the female worshippers of Dionysus. It was Hercules twelfth task to overcome Cerberus. Hercules had to kill Cerberus completely unarmed. He was known for his excellent wrestling skills but Cerberus had 50 heads and many snakes.

Cerberus lunged for a throat attack but Hercules was wearing his impenetrable lion skin from the Neamean lion. With this protection Hercules strangled the beast to death and presented its corpse to the gods. Cerberus has been viewed 3006 times. Does Cerberus Exist? Hercules' Twelfth Labor: Cerberus Cerberus The most dangerous labor of all was the twelfth and final one. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to go to the Underworld and kidnap the beast called Cerberus (or Kerberos). Eurystheus must have been sure Hercules would never succeed at this impossible task! The ancient Greeks believed that after a person died, his or her spirit went to the world below and dwelled for eternity in the depths of the earth. The Underworld was the kingdom of Hades, also called Pluto, and his wife, Persephone. Depending on how a person lived his or her life, they might or might not experience never-ending punishment in Hades. All souls, whether good or bad, were destined for the kingdom of Hades.

Toledo 1969.371 Main panel:Hercules and Cerberus, upper half Photograph by Maria Daniels, courtesy of the Toledo Museum of Art Cerberus was a vicious beast that guarded the entrance to Hades and kept the living from entering the world of the dead. According to Apollodorus, Cerberus was a strange mixture of creatures: he had three heads of wild dogs, a dragon or serpent for a tail, and heads of snakes all over his back. Hesiod, though, says that Cerberus had fifty heads and devoured raw flesh. . . . A monster not to be overcome and that may not be described, Cerberus who eats raw flesh, the brazen-voiced hound of Hades, fifty-headed, relentless and strong. Hesiod, Theogony 310 Cerberus' parents were the monster Echinda (half-woman, half-serpent) and Typhon (a fire-breathing giant covered with dragons and serpents). Even the gods of Olympus were afraid of Typhon. Among the children attributed to this awful couple were Orthus (or Othros), the Hydra of Lerna , and the Chimaera.

Orthus was a two-headed hound which guarded the cattle of Geryon. With the Chimaera, Orthus fathered the Nemean Lion and the Sphinx. The Chimaera was a three-headed fire-breathing monster, part lion, part snake, and part goat. Hercules seemed to have a lot of experience dealing with this family: he killed Orthus, when he stole the cattle of Geryon , and strangled the Nemean Lion . Compared to these unfortunate family members, Cerberus was actually rather lucky. Louvre F 204 Side A: Kerberos Photograph by Maria Daniels, courtesy of the Musée du Louvre Before making the trip to the Underworld, Hercules decided that he should take some extra precautions. This was, after all, a journey from which no mortal had ever returned. Hercules knew that once in the kingdom of Hades, he might not be allowed to leave and rejoin the living. The hero went to Eleusis and saw Eumolpus, a priest who began what were known as the Eleusinian Mysteries. The mysteries were sacred religious rites which celebrated the myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone.

The ancients believed that those who learned the secrets of the mysteries would have happiness in the Underworld. After the hero met a few conditions of membership, Eumolpus initiated Hercules into the mysteries. Hercules went to a place called Taenarum in Laconia. Through a deep, rocky cave, Hercules made his way down to the Underworld. He encountered monsters, heroes, and ghosts as he made his way through Hades. He even engaged in a wrestling contest! Then, finally, he found Pluto and asked the god for Cerberus. The lord of the Underworld replied that Hercules could indeed take Cerberus with him, but only if he overpowered the beast with nothing more than his own brute strength. A weaponless Hercules set off to find Cerberus. Near the gates of Acheron, one of the five rivers of the Underworld, Hercules encountered Cerberus. Undaunted, the hero threw his strong arms around the beast, perhaps grasping all three heads at once, and wrestled Cerberus into submission. The dragon in the tail of the fierce flesh-eating guard dog bit Hercules, but that did not stop him.

Cerberus had to submit to the force of the hero, and Hercules brought Cerberus to Eurystheus. Unlike other monsters that crossed the path of the legendary hero, Cerberus was returned safely to Hades, where he resumed guarding the gateway to the Underworld. Presumably, Hercules inflicted no lasting damage on Cerberus, except, of course, the wound to his pride! Louvre E 701 Main panel: Hercules and Kerberos Photograph by Maria Daniels, courtesy of the Musée du Louvre (lmc) Hades - Ancient History Encyclopedia Hades by Mark Cartwright published on 19 July 2012 Hades was both the name of the ancient Greek god of the underworld ( Roman name: Pluto) and the name of the shadowy place below the earth which was considered the final destination for the souls of the dead. Perhaps the most feared of the gods, he is described by both Homer and Hesiod as ‘pitiless’, ‘loathsome’, and ‘monstrous’ Hades.

Hades The God Following the overthrow of first the Titans and then the Giants by the Olympian gods, Hades drew lots with his brothers Zeus and Poseidon to decide which part of the world each would rule. Zeus received the sky, Poseidon the seas, and Hades the underworld. Perhaps a less prominent protagonist in the tales of mythology than the other Olympian gods, Hades, nevertheless, must have been held in superstitious awe by many ordinary Greeks. Indeed, even to speak his name was avoided; instead epithets were used such as Eubuleus (giving good advice). There are also accounts of sacrificial practices made in honour of Hades, carried out at night and where the blood of victims was left to seep down into the earth to reach the underworld god. Remove Ads Advertisement Hades was the only god not to reside on Mount Olympus, dwelling instead in a dark palace beneath the earth. The god also had a helmet made by Hephaistos which rendered the wearer invisible, and it was this helmet that was used by Athena when she fought Ares in Homer’s account of the Trojan War in the Iliad and by Perseus in his quest for the head of Medusa .

Hades was the only Greek god not to reside on Mount Olympus, dwelling instead in a dark palace beneath the earth. In mythology, Hades fell in love with Persephone , daughter of Zeus and Demeter , and abducted her to live with him. When Hermes discovered this, he demanded Persephone be returned to Demeter and it was decided that if she had not eaten any food from Hades, she could return to the upper world. However, Hades tricked the girl into eating a pomegranate seed and therefore she could only return to the living for half of the year. This myth was symbolic perhaps of the cycle of life and death, planting and harvest. The celebration of Persephone’s return to the upper world was probably a part of the famous Eleusian Mysteries performed at the sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis . In Archaic and Classical Greek art, Hades is most often represented as a more mature man, bearded and holding a sceptre, a two-pronged spear, a libation vase, or a cornucopia - symbolic of the mineral and vegetable wealth which comes from the ground.

On occasion he is seated on an ebony throne or rides a chariot pulled by black horses, often with Persephone at his side. Advertisement Hades The Underworld The god Hermes was believed to lead souls to the river Styx in the underworld, at which point the aged boatman Charon ferried them to the gates of Hades where Kerberos - the ferocious three-headed dog (or fifty-headed according to Hesiod) with serpents coming out of its body - stood guard to keep souls in rather than to keep others out. It was for payment to Charon that bereaved family members put a coin in the mouth of the deceased (for Greeks the traditional coin was the low-value obol). The unburied or those without the means to pay the boatman were condemned to wander the Earth as ghosts. This belief hints at the ambiguous nature of Hades. It was not necessarily a place of torment and suffering but in most cases, simply the final resting place of the soul. On arrival at the gates of Hades, the final destination of the souls was determined by an assessment of their actions whilst they were alive.

Traditionally, the three judges of souls were Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Aiakos, themselves noted for their honourable lives. Souls judged to have led especially good lives were first taken to drink the waters of the River Lethe which made them forget all bad things, and then they were taken to the idyllic Elysian Fields. Those souls judged to have led bad lives were put in the hands of the Furies and taken to Tartarus, the lowest level of Hades, to receive punishment for their misdeeds. The worst-offending souls, those who had offended the gods with their impiety, were condemned to eternal torment. Examples of those so punished were Sisyphus who had to forever roll a rock up a hill, Tantalos who could never quench his thirst, Oknos who plaits one end of a rope while a donkey eats the other end, the daughters of Danaus who had to try and fill a sieve with water, and Ixion who was tied to an ever-spinning wheel. Cerberus dictionary definition | Cerberus defined » more...

Amongst his children by Echidna are Cerberus, the Lernaean hydra, and the Chimaera. Cerberus rhynchops; Hypsirhina plumbea, Homalopsis; Hipistes hydrinus of Siam has a compressed body, and much resembles the Hydrophinae in general appearance and its partly marine life. Carrying Cerberus from Hades to the upper world. The third and twelfth labours may be solar, the horned hind representing the moon, and the carrying of Cerberus to the upper world an eclipse, while the last episode of the hero's tragedy is possibly a complete solar myth developed at Trachis. The statue of Serapis in the Serapeum of Alexandria was of purely Greek type and workmanship - a Hades or Pluto enthroned with a basket or corn measure on his head, a sceptre in his hand, Cerberus at his feet, and (apparently) a serpent.

Question: In Greek myth, which three-headed dog guarded the gate to Hades?
Answer: Cerberus