Cerberus, picture by William Blake (18th cent. William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827 was an English poet, painter, and Printmaker. )

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. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The words daemon, dæmon, are Latinized spellings of the Greek δαίμων ( daimôn) used purposely today to distinguish the daemons In Greek mythology, Erebus or Erebos ( Ancient Greek:, English translation: "deep blackness/darkness or shadow" was the son of a primordial A hound is a type of Dog that assists Hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient Polycephaly is a condition of having more than one head The term is derived from the stems poly- meaning 'many' and kephal- meaning "head" A hellhound is a Demonic Dog of Hell, found in Mythology, Folklore and Fiction. Other hell hounds included Orthus, his two-headed brother. For the genus of Jumping spiders, see Orthrus. In Greek mythology, Orthrus (also called Orthros, Orthos 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). Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient Among his siblings are Chimera and the Hydra. In Greek mythology, the Chimera ( Greek (Chímaira Latin Chimaera) was a monstrous creature of Lycia in Asia Minor In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra ( Greek: ( was an ancient nameless serpent -like Chthonic water beast that possessed numerous He is the offspring of Echidna and Typhon. In the most ancient layers of Greek mythology Echidna (Greek Ἔχιδνα ( ekhis (ἔχις meaning "she viper" was In Greek mythology, Typhon ( Ancient Greek:, Tuphōn) also Typheus / Typhoeus ( Tuphōeus) Typhaon ( 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. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or
• Orpheus used his musical skills to lull Cerberus to sleep. Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in
• Hermes put him to sleep with water from the river Lethe. Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and In Classical Greek, Lethe (λήθη Classical Greek, Modern Greek:) literally means "forgetfulness" or "concealment"
• In Roman mythology, the Sybil of Cumae lulled Cerberus to sleep with drugged honeycakes in order to permit Aeneas fuller entry to the underworld. Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its There is also a small modern Greek Euboean city called Κυμη, near the ruins of the ancient Cuma This article is about the Roman hero For other uses see Aeneas (disambiguation.
• In a Roman tale, Psyche also lulled Cerberus to sleep with drugged honeycakes. The Tale of Cupid and Psyche (or The Tale of Amor and Psyche) first appeared as a digressionary story told by an old woman in Lucius Apuleius ' Novel,
• 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. The Divine Comedy
• In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Hagrid's three-headed dog Fluffy draws striking similarities to Cerberus. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) is the first novel in For example, both Cerberus and Fluffy are lulled to sleep by the power of song.

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. There is also a small modern Greek Euboean city called Κυμη, near the ruins of the ancient Cuma Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld 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)

Heracles and Cerberus. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or Detail of a Roman mosaic from Llíria (Spain). Roman art includes the visual arts produced in Ancient Rome, and in the territories of the Roman empire. Llíria ( Valencian, pronounced Yeeria or Lyeeria) or Liria ( Spanish) is a medium sized town off the CV35 Motorway Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

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. The Twelve Labours of Hercules (Greek Δωδεκαθλος, dodekathlos) age a series of archaic episodes connected by a later continuous narrative concerning Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient In the study of Mythology and Religion, the underworld (gr κάτω κόσμος) is a generic term approximately equivalent to the lay term Afterlife 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. Elefsina (Ελευσίνα Ancient/ Katharevousa: Eleusis is a town and municipality about 20 km NW of Athens. The Eleusinian Mysteries (Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια were initiation ceremonies held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone He found the entrance to the underworld at Tanaerum, and Athena and Hermes helped him to traverse the entrance in each direction. Taenarum or Cape Tenaron (Ταίναρον is where Hercules (Herakles went to find the entrance to Hades (or Άδης in Greek) to fulfill ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and He passed Charon with Hermes's assistance and his own heavy and fierce frowning. In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (in Greek, Χάρων &mdash the bright) was the Ferryman of Hades Whilst in the underworld, Heracles freed Theseus, but the earth shook when he attempted to liberate Pirithous, so he had to leave him behind. For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered In Greek mythology, Pirithous - Πειρίθοος (also transliterated as Perithoos, Peirithoos or Peirithous) was the King of the They had been imprisoned by Hades, by magically binding them to a bench, because they had attempted to kidnap Persephone. In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld 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 did not harm the hound in any way. Some say Persephone gave her consent because Heracles was her own brother (both were children of Zeus). Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In any case, Heracles wrestled the dog into submission and dragged it out of Hades, passing through a cavern entrance in the Peloponnese. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula 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. In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was king of Tiryns, one of three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid: Sthenelus was his father From the spittle of the dog which fell upon earth, the first poisonous plants were born, including deadly aconite. Eranthis ( Winter aconite) is a Genus of eight Species of Flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae (Buttercup

In modern culture

As a famous beast, Cerberus is occasionally referenced in modern fiction. Some of these are listed at Cerberus (disambiguation). Others include 'Fluffy' a three headed dog which forms a key part of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) is the first novel in

Gallery

Hercules capturing Cerberus, Engraving by Sebald Beham (1540)

Fresco of Cerberus and Charon at the river Styx, by Luca Giordano (17th cent. The Greek Underworld is a general term used to describe the various realms of Greek mythology which were believed to lie beneath the earth or beyond the horizon Aeacus (also spelled Eäcus, Greek, "bewailing" or "earth borne" was a mythological king of the island of Aegina In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (in Greek, Χάρων &mdash the bright) was the Ferryman of Hades Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient In Greek mythology, Minos ( Ancient Greek:) was a mythical king of Crete son of Zeus and Europa. In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld In Greek myths, Rhadamanthus ( also transliterated as Rhadamanthys or Rhadamanthos) was a wise king the son of Zeus and This article concerns the Greek river For other uses see Acheron (disambiguation. The Asphodel Meadows is a section of the Ancient Greek underworld where indifferent and ordinary souls were sent to live after death Cocytus or Kokytos, meaning "the river of wailing" (from the Greek κωκυτός, "lamentation" is a river in the underworld in In Greek mythology, Elysium ( Greek:) was a section of the Underworld (the spelling Elysium is a Latinization of the In Greek mythology, Erebus or Erebos ( Ancient Greek:, English translation: "deep blackness/darkness or shadow" was the son of a primordial In Classical Greek, Lethe (λήθη Classical Greek, Modern Greek:) literally means "forgetfulness" or "concealment" In Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon ( English translation: "flaming" or Pyriphlegethon (English translation "fire-flaming" was In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place In Greek mythology, Ixion was king of the Lapiths, the most ancient tribe of Thessaly, and a son of Ares or Antion or the notorious In Greek mythology, Sisyphus ( Greek: Σίσυφος, Latinized: Sisyphus (ˈsɪsɨfəs was a King punished in In Greek mythology Tantalus ( Greek Τάνταλος was a son of Zeus and the Nymph Plouto. In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it Hans Sebald Beham (1500 &ndash 1550 was a German printmaker who did his best work as an engraver, and was also a designer of Woodcuts and Luca Giordano ( October 18, 1634 &ndash January 12, 1705) was an eclectic peripatetic and influential Italian late Baroque )

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

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. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works
• The Dog of Hades who was actually the Hound of Hecate. Hecate ( Greek: Ἑκάτη, "far-shooting") Hekate ( Hekátê