Cerberus, picture by William Blake (18th cent.)

In Greek mythology, Cerberus or Kerberos (Greek Κέρβερος, Kérberos or Sürbürǔs, the daemon or ker of Erebos) was the hound of Hades, a monstrous three-headed dog^[1] with a snake for a tail and snakes down his back like a mane, whose analogs in other cultures are hellhounds. Other hell hounds included Orthus, his two-headed brother. Cerberus guarded the gate to Hades and ensured that spirits of the dead could enter, but none could exit (additionally, no living person was to come into Hades). Among his siblings are Chimera and the Hydra. He is the offspring of Echidna and Typhon. In Dante's Inferno, he is described as having a human head. This symbolizes the possibility of Cerberus being more human than animal.

Cerberus was overcome several times, with the aid of gods or supernatural talents:

• Heracles' final labour was to capture Cerberus, which he did by wrestling it into submission.
• Orpheus used his musical skills to lull Cerberus to sleep.
• Hermes put him to sleep with water from the river Lethe.
• In Roman mythology, the Sybil of Cumae lulled Cerberus to sleep with drugged honeycakes in order to permit Aeneas fuller entry to the underworld.
• In a Roman tale, Psyche also lulled Cerberus to sleep with drugged honeycakes.
• In The Inferno, Cerberus punishes the gluttons and is passed by Virgil and Dante due to Virgil throwing into one of his mouths some of the putrid earth found in the Third Circle.

In the Greek Oracle of the Dead at Cumae in southern Italy, the recently excavated subterranean shrine was found to contain giant chains fixed to the wall for three large dogs before the entrance to the shrine of Hades and Persephone. The three dogs would have represented Cerberus in this ancient temple.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

Hercules capturing Cerberus, Engraving by Sebald Beham (1540)

Fresco of Cerberus and Charon at the river Styx, by Luca Giordano (17th cent.)

Cerberus, engraving by Gustave Doré (19th cent.)

Heracles and Cerberus. Detail of a Roman mosaic from Llíria (Spain).

External links

• Theoi Project, Kerberos the hound of Hades in classical literature and art
• Cerberus, The Dog of Hades : The History of an Idea, by Maurice Bloomfield, 1905, from Project Gutenberg
• An Engraving of Cerberus by Gustave Doré.
• The Dog of Hades who was actually the Hound of Hecate.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Cerberus". Image Credit.

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