Cacus
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.5|Hercules killing the fire-breathing Cacus, engraving by [[Sebald Beham (1545)]] In Roman mythology, Cacus (, derived from κακός, meaning bad) was a fire-breathing giant and the son of Vulcan (Plutarch called him son of Hephaestus). He was killed by Hercules after terrorizing the Aventine Hill before the founding of Rome.
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Mythology
- In later literature
- In modern languages
- Notes
- Further reading
thumb|upright=1.5|Hercules killing the fire-breathing Cacus, engraving by [[Sebald Beham (1545)]] In Roman mythology, Cacus (, derived from κακός, meaning bad) was a fire-breathing giant and the son of Vulcan (Plutarch called him son of Hephaestus). He was killed by Hercules after terrorizing the Aventine Hill before the founding of Rome.
==Mythology== Cacus lived in a cave in Italy on the future site of Rome. To the horror of nearby inhabitants, Cacus lived on human flesh and would nail the heads of victims to the doors of his cave. He was eventually overcome by Hercules.