Everything about Cerberus totally explained
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 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's 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.
Today, it also appears in popular culture; for instance, Cerberus is the name of the "Smoke Monster" on the popular television show Lost.
Twelfth Labour of Heracles (or Hercules)
In the last of his
Twelve Labours, Heracles was to capture Cerberus from
Hades, the God of the dead and the ruler of the
Underworld. After having been given the task, Heracles went to
Eleusis to be initiated in the
Eleusinian Mysteries so that he could learn how to enter and exit the underworld alive, and in passing absolve himself for killing centaurs. He found the entrance to the underworld at
Tanaerum, and
Athena and
Hermes helped him to traverse the entrance in each direction. He passed
Charon with Hermes's assistance and his own heavy and fierce frowning.
Whilst in the underworld, Heracles freed
Theseus, but the earth shook when he attempted to liberate
Pirithous, so he'd to leave him behind.
They had been imprisoned by Hades, by magically binding them to a bench, because they'd attempted to kidnap
Persephone. The magic was so strong, that when Heracles pulled Theseus free, part of Theseus's thighs remained on the bench, explaining why his descendants had notably lean thighs.
Heracles presented himself before the throne of Hades and Persephone and asked permission to take Cerberus, to which the gods agreed as long as Heracles didn't harm the hound in any way. Some say Persephone gave her consent because Heracles was her own brother (both were children of
Zeus). In any case, Heracles wrestled the dog into submission and dragged it out of Hades, passing through a cavern entrance in the
Peloponnese. When he returned with Cerberus to the palace,
Eurystheus, the man who had assigned the task to Heracles, was so afraid of the fearsome beast that he jumped into a pithos (large storage jar) to hide. From the spittle of the dog which fell upon earth, the first poisonous plants were born, including deadly
aconite.
Gallery
Image:Hercules capturing Cerberus.jpg|Hercules capturing Cerberus, Engraving by Sebald Beham (1540)
Image:Luca Giordano 009.jpg|Fresco of Cerberus and Charon at the river Styx, by Luca Giordano (17th cent.)
Image:Cerbere.jpg|Cerberus, engraving by Gustave Doré (19th cent.)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cerberus'.
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