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 Cerberus | Definition of Cerberus by Merriam-Webster Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Cerberus Seen and Heard What made you want to look up Cerberus? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Cerberus - The Three-Headed Hell Hound of Hades By N.S. Gill's Ancient/Classical History Glossary Updated August 15, 2016. Definition: The Greek Underworld 's three-headed, serpent-tailed dog Cerberus was the offspring of Echidna and Typhon.

(In Greek mythology , parents didn't necessarily resemble their offspring.) Plato Republic 588 likens Cerberus to chimeras: "'One of those natures that the ancient fables tell of,' said I, 'as that of the Chimaera or Scylla or Cerberus, and the numerous other examples that are told of many forms grown together in one.'" Describing the hound, likewise, as a chimera, Apollodorus 2.V.12.I writes: "Now this Cerberus had three heads of dogs, the tail of a dragon, and on his back the heads of all sorts of snakes." In one of the main sources on Greek mythological figures, Hesiod 's Theogony , Cerberus had not 3, but 50 heads. Some artists have portrayed the beast with two heads. The point was, he had more than one threatening, toothy set of jaws, although by the time of the Roman poets, the number seems to have been fixed at 3 [Cerberus, The Dog of Hades, by Maurice Bloomfield. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World (1905)].

Cerberus was a fierce, pitiless, honey cakes and flesh-eating Underworld watchdog, stationed by the River Styx , from which post he would keep the living from entering the land of the dead. Even the gods feared Cerberus, but Hercules (Heracles), for his 12th Labor , had to kidnap the three-headed dog and bring him back to the world of the living to Hercules' taskmaster, King Eurystheus. Vergil included in his Aeneid a trip to the Underworld, in which it was necessary for the Roman hero, Aeneas , to get past Cerberus. In Book VI of the Aeneid, the Sibyl threw tranquilizers to each of the three heads of Cerberus so Aeneas could pass in safety.​​ Orpheus and Psyche were two other mortals who managed to get by Cerberus.

Go to Other Ancient / Classical History Glossary pages beginning with the letter Also Known As: Hell Hound, Hound of Hades Alternate Spellings: Cerberos, Kerberos Examples: Fluffy, the 3-headed pet dog of Hagrid, who guarded the Sorcerer's Stone, in Harry Potter, is based on Cerberus. Cerberus - the Mythical Three Headed Dog as an Allegory for What Ails Us. - Community in Mission : Community in Mission Msgr. Charles Pope • March 13, 2012 • 7 Comments In ancient Greek mythology the dog Cerberus guarded the entrance to Hades (the misty and gloomy underworld, the abode of the dead), permitting anyone to enter but none to leave. Cerberus is usually depicted as a three headed dog and some have tried to link this to his seeing the past, present and future. Cerberus’ name comes to us in a Latinized version from the Greek, where he was called Κέρβερος (Kerberos).

Now, when you and I think of dogs, we think of “man’s best friend.” But, in the ancient world dogs were usually thought of as wild animals that ran in packs and scavenged at the edge of town. They were not as domesticated as today. And Cerberus incorporates not only the fearsome qualities of a wild dog, but was also said to have a mane, not of hair, but of live snakes! He was said to eat only live meat and was the offspring of Echidna, a half-woman, half-snake, and Typhon, a fire-breathing giant. Not the most pleasant of “dogs” to be sure. You get the picture. In Greek mythology he “welcomed” you to Hades when you died and made sure you did not leave. So lets apply the images of Greek Mythology: Hades and Cerberus, to what ails our culture today. Hades, here and now – Pope John Paul II often described, with concern, the Western World as a “Culture of Death.” Essentially what this means is that, in our culture we increasingly see death as a solution to problems. If the child is inconvenient or “defective,” abort.

If the old person is suffering and using lots of resources, euthanize. If there is injustice, use violent means such as war to restore it. If there is a serious criminal, kill him. If we want to do research, kill embryos. That others should die to make my life more pleasant, safe, or viable, fine! And so forth. This is the culture of death and it corresponds in our mythological reference here to Hades, the abode of the dead. And, as our culture descends and increasingly enters this Hades, this abode and culture of death, it is welcomed there by the three-headed dog, Cerberus. Cereberus, the three-headed dog, or course is not real, but allegorical and he helps ensure our entrance and also our stay in cultural Hades by his three-fold threat of: Secularism, Materialism, and Individualism. These three threats are represented by his three heads. 1. Secularism – The word “secular” comes from the Latin Saecula which is translated as “world” but can also be understood to refer to the “age” or “times” in which we live.

What secularism does to pay excessive concern to the things of this world and to the times which we live. It does this in exclusion to values and virtues of heaven and the Kingdom of God. The preoccupation with the things of this world, crowds out any concern for the things of heaven. Hostile – And it is not merely a matter of preoccupation with the world, but, often, of outright hostility to things outside the “saecula” (world or age). Spiritual matters are often dismissed by the worldly as irrelevant, naïve, hostile and divisive. Secularism is an attitude that demands all our attention be devoted to the world and its priorities. Misplaced Priority – The attitude of secularism also causes many who adopt it to tuck their faith under worldly priorities and views. In this climate, many are far more passionate and dedicated to their politics than their faith. The faith is “tucked under” political views and made to conform to them. It should be the opposite, that political views would be subordinate to the faith. The Gospel should trump our politics, our world view, our opinions and all worldly influences. Faith should be the doorkeeper. Everything should be seen in the light of faith.

But secularism reverses all this and demands to trump the truths of faith. Secularism is the error wherein I insist that the faith should give way when it opposes some worldly way of thinking, or some worldly priority. If faith gets in the way of career, guess which gives? If faith forbids me from doing what I please and what the world affirms, guess which gives way? The spirit of the world often sees the truths of faith as unreasonable, unrealistic, and demands that they give way, either by compromise or a complete setting aside of faith. As people of faith, it should be the world and its values that are on trial. But secularism in us puts the faith on trial and demands it conform to worldly thinking and priorities. Secularism also increasingly demands that faith be privatized. It is to have no place in the public square of ideas or values. If Karl Marx said it, fine. But if Jesus said it, it has to go. Every other interest group can claim a place in the public square, in the public schools, etc. But the Christian faith has no place. Yes, God has to go. Secularism in its “purest” form demands a faith-free, God-free, world.

Jesus promised that the world would hate us as it hated him. This remains true and secularism describes the rising tendency for the world to get its way. Here is the first head of Cerberus welcoming our culture to the abode of the dead. For, to make this world our priority and let it over-rule our faith, is to board a ship doomed to sink with no life boats on board. With secularism, our fascination and loyalty is primarily to the world, and this amounts to arranging deck-chairs on the Titanic. If the world is really all that matters then we are the most pitiable of men for everything we value is doomed and already passing away. Cerberus beckons. 2. Materialism – Most people think of materialism as the tendency to acquire and need lots of material things. It includes this, but true materialism is far deeper. In effect, materialism is the error that insists that physical matter is the only thing that is real, or existent. Materialism holds that only those things which can be measured on scale, seen in a microscope, or empirically experienced (through the five senses), are real.

The modern error of Scientism flows from this which insists that nothing outside the world of the physical sciences exists or is real. (More on that HERE ). In effect, materialism says that matter is all that “matters.” The spiritual is either non-existent or irrelevant to the materialist. This of course leads to the tendency to acquire things and neglect the spiritual. If matter is all that really matters then we will tend to want large amounts of it. Bigger houses, more things, creature comforts, are all amassed in order to give meaning and satisfaction to me. In the end it is a cruel joke however since; All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing (Eccles 1:7). And again, Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. [It] is meaningless….. The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. (Eccles 5:10-12) But never mind, the materialist will still insist it is the only thing real or the only thing relevant.

The error of materialism is ultimately tied up in thinking that matter is all that exists and that man, a creature of matter and spirit, can be satisfied only with matter. Materialism denies a whole world of moral and spiritual realities that are meant to nourish the human person: goodness, beauty, truth, justice, equity, transcendence, truth courage, feelings, attitudes, angels and God. These are ultimately spiritual realities. They may have physical manifestations, to some extent, but they are not physical. Justice does not walk through the door and take a seat in the front row. Transcendence does not step out for a stroll, give a speech or shake hands with beauty. Such things are not merely material. To deny the spiritual is to already be dying, for the form of this world is passing away. To deny the spiritual is to have little to live for other than today, for tomorrow is uncertain and one step closer to death. The second head of Cerberus is materialism. He beckons us and draws our culture to live already in Hades, the abode, the culture of death. 3.

Individualism – The error of individualism exalts the individual over and above all notions of the common good, and our need to responsibility live in communion with God and others. Individualism exalts the view of the individual at the expense of the received wisdom of tradition. Individualism demands autonomy without proper regard to rights and needs of others. It minimizes duties toward others and maximizes personal prerogatives and privileges. It also tends to deny a balanced notion of dependence on others for human formation and the need to accept correction and instruction. Individualism also results in a weakening of the Church, schools and other institutions by neglecting our duty to take part in and, support them, crucial as they are to the flourishing of the human family. Just as we could not enter this world without God and our parents, so neither can we live fully in isolation from God and others. Personal freedom and autonomy have their place and should not be usurped by government or other collectives. But freedom today is often misunderstood as the ability to do whatever I please, instead of the ability, the power, to do what is good. Freedom is not absolute and should not be detached from respect for the rights and good of others.

Excessive and mistaken notions of freedom have caused great harm in our culture and it is often children who suffer the most. Sexual promiscuity, easy divorce, abortion, substance abuse and so forth are an abuse of freedom and cause harm to children, and to the wider society that must often seek to repair the damage caused by irresponsible behavior. Individualism is the third head of Cerberus. By it he beckons us to Hades, the culture of death, since by it, he breaks down the ties that give life. So pervasive is individualism today that over 40% of people surveyed think marriage is passé. The result is death: contraception, low birthrates, abortion, and the children who are born are increasingly raised in the problematic settings of broken homes, daycare and poor discipline. So here are, struggling with a culture of death in the West, (Hades) and our own Cerberus bids more of us enter. Pardon my figurative imagery, in this post. Allegorical Cerberus is not to be numbered among the ranks of “man’s best friend.” He’s a wild dog, scarcely trained at all. You will not be his master, he wants to be yours.

Resist him, solid in your faith (1 Peter 5:9) There are good things in our culture and some hopeful trends, among the young especially. We have discussed those here too. But allow today’s blog as a figure of what ails us. When we can name the demons they have less power over us. Here is probably the most secular song ever written. It is deconstructionist, nihilistic, atheistic, anarchistic, and materialistic. And most Christians sing along with it on the radio with narry a thought. (Pay attention to the lyrics, they are terrible). Some have told me John Lennon disavowed this song before his death, but I have not been able to verify this. It is surely a song emblematic of the age of the triple header threat. Cerberus would be proud. Cerberus | MythOrTruth.Com - Mythical Creatures, Beasts and Facts associated with them. Cerberus 0 comments Cerberus is the dog monster that guards the entrance to Hades, which is the mythical Greek underworld.

The creature’s function is to keep the souls of those who have crossed the river Styx from ever leaving the Underworld, and also to prevent living mortals from entering into Hades. Styx However, portrayal of Cerberus was not limited to myth or religion, but was extended to other mediums as well, including sculptures, paintings, murals and literature. It’s worth mentioning, for example, that Cerberus has been mentioned in the works Plato, Virgil, Homer and Thesiod. In ancient ruins, one can even find extensive works of art that feature Cerberus right next to important mythical characters from Greek mythology. A Laconian vase from 560 BC, for example, portrays Cerberus as having three heads with a body surrounded by snakes. Also, in various murals and sculptures, Cerberus is presented as a creature of varying proportions, but always presented in the context of either the underworld or the Heraclean myths. Cerberus in Roman and Greek Myth Cerberus, or Kerberos as it was originally called, plays a prominent role in Greek and Roman mythology, particularly those relating to the trials of Hercules and the various struggles of the Gods.

Cerberus There are conflicting accounts about the number of heads which can be found on Kerberos. Some sources indicate that Kerberos only had one or two heads, while other sources point to 10 or more. According to both Greek and Roman mythology, Cerberus was the offspring of Echidna and Typhon, both of whom were also prominent primordial beings in both Roman and Greek mythology. One of Kerberos’ siblings was Orthrus, a two headed dog which shared much of its ferocity. Aside from Kerberos’ role as guardian of the underworld, it was also portrayed as a ravenous monster with an exclusive diet of live meat. In sources where Kerberos is represented as having three heads, Cerberus takes on a special symbolism. Like the sisters of fate, the Moirai, Cerberus’s three heads also have a special significance. Some sources say that the heads represent the creature’s ability to see into eternity, and that three heads represent the past, the present and the future. Other sources claim that the three heads represent birth, youth and old age. Echidna and Typhon Whatever the case may be, Cerberus is a prominent archetype in the Greco-Roman idea of the underworld.

It’s worth mentioning, for example, that along with Charon, Hades and other prominent entities, Kerberos, according to some sources, judges some of the souls that pass through into the underworld. This is strangely similar to the role played by the Jackal headed god, Anubis in Egyptian mythology. Despite its role however, Kerberos remains a mythological creature, an entity that symbolizes the primal human fear of death. Also, considering how it is a child of other Greek monster deities proves – to some extent – that Cerberus may have been inspired by non-Greek origins. Cerberus and Heracles Although references to Cerberus can be found in dozens of Greek and Roman literary and religious sources, the most prominent source of all is the Twelve Labors of Heracles. In order to redeem himself, Heracles (or Hercules, as he was known in Roman civilization) was given twelve tasks which will acquit him of his sins against the gods. One of these tasks was given to him by King Eurytheus, and the task involved capturing Cerberus from Hades. According to Greek mythology, Heracles, despite being alive, entered the Underworld with the help of various gods.

Once he was there, he personally asked permission from Hades, the god of the underworld, to take the three headed monster back to the surface and show it at Eurytheus’ court. Hades’ agreed to Heracles’ request but only on the condition that he would subdue Kerberos without the use of any weapons. Heracles was able to meet Hades’ conditions and carried the unconscious hound over his shoulder back to the land of the living. When Heracles showed the monster to King Eurytheus, the king was stricken with fear and ordered Heracles to return the creature back to the underworld. Heracles Explanations About the Inspiration for the Myth of Cerberus Throughout the Greco-Roman world, various intellectuals and scholars attempted to explain the origins of the depiction of Cerberus. Various interpretations and explanations have been put forward by different people from different eras on the nature and origins of the Kerberos. One such explanation was made by Heraclitus the paradoxographer, who claimed that Cerberus was not – in fact a three headed dog monster – but one very large dog, with two very attentive puppies or companions.

Heraclitus’ argument was that, given how the three dog were always close together, the artists simply began portraying the creature as a single dog with three heads. On the other hand, modern historians and scholars are considering the possibility that Kerberos by have had its origins from Proto-Indo-European myths. This theory is based on the idea that in various Sanskrit legends, “Sarvara” was the name given to the dogs of Yama, the God of Death in early Vedic mythology. Hades Another possible explanation comes from Norse Mythology, where Cerberus is believed to have been inspired by the dog, Garmr, a blood stained wolf-like dog that guard’s Hell’s gates. Whatever the truth may be about the origins of Cerberus, it’s quite obvious that the guardian dog of hell archetype is not exclusive to the Greeks. Cerberus in Modern Culture Aside from the extensive portrayal of Cerberus in Greek and Roman culture, the creature remains quite popular in contemporary times. One can even say that the archetypal hell-hound used in modern horror and adventure movies are actually based on Kerberos.

A quick observation of certain movies and books with themes centered around magic and mystery will reveal that the hell-hounds used on such stories are actually modern day replicas of Kerberos from Greek myth. In the Harry Potter series as well as the Resident Evil video games, for example, certain dogs and monsters match the descriptions of Kerberos. So even in this day and age, Cerberus still guards the gates to our imaginations. Cerberus Cerberus by Micha F. Lindemans In Greek mythology, the three-headed watchdog who guards the entrance to the lower world, the Hades . It is a child of the giant Typhon and Echidna , a monstrous creature herself, being half woman and half snake. Originally, the dog was portrayed having fifty or hundred heads but was later pictured with only three heads (and sometimes with the tail of a serpent). Cerberus permitted new spirits to enter the realm of dead, but allowed none of them to leave. Only a few ever managed to sneak past the creature, among which Orpheus , who lulled it to sleep by playing his lyre, and Heracles , who brought it to the land of the living for a while (being the last of his Twelve Labors ).

In Roman mythology, the Trojan prince Aeneas and Psyche were able to pacify it with honey cake. (See also: Garm .) Article details:

Question: What is the name of the 3-headed dog that guards Hades?
Answer: Cerberus