Cerberus, hound of Hades

Not much can be found on Cerberus. He is commonly known as a three -headed dog who guard the gates to the underworld. He is part of a family of monsters with Typhon and Echidna as his parents (Cerberus). Cerberus had three siblings: Orthus, Lernaean Hydra, and Chimaera (Cerberus).

Cerberus’s job is to prevent the dead from leaving and make sure that whoever enters the underworld, doesn’t leave. He ate anyone who tried to escape from the kingdom and liked the game (Cerberus). Only three times did people manage to slip past his claws (Cerberus). Heracles managed to win with his brute strength, Orpheus slipped past by putting Cerberus to sleep with his music, and the Sybil of Cumae survived by giving Cerberus some honey-cake (Cerberus).

The amount of heads that Cerberus has isn’t known for sure. Some authors say he has 50 heads, some say 100, and others say that he only has three (Cerberus). This is because Cerberus has heads of snakes that grow from his back (Cerberus). He also has a serpent’s tail and a really poisonous bite that could hurt anyone (Hill).

Cerberus’s three heads were said to represent the past, present, and future. Other sources suggest they were symbols of birth, youth, and old age.

“Cerberus.” Greek Mythology, www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Cerberus/cerberus.html.

Hill, Bryan. “Cerberus: Legendary Hell Hound of the Underworld.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/cerberus-legendary-hell-hound-underworld-003142.