Cerberus
Sign in to savethumb|right|Heracles, wearing his characteristic lion-skin, club in right hand, leash in left, presenting a three-headed Cerberus, snakes coiling from his snouts, necks and front paws, to a frightened [[Eurystheus hiding in a giant pot. Caeretan hydria (c. 530 BC) from Caere (Louvre E701)]]
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Cerberus is a three-headed monster dog from ancient Greek mythology, depicted with snakes coiling from its heads, necks, and front paws. According to the mythological tradition preserved in ancient Greek art, the hero Heracles captured Cerberus as one of his famous labors, as shown in this ancient Greek vase painting from around 530 BC.
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Article
16 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Descriptions
- Twelfth Labour of Heracles
- Theseus and Pirithous
- Capture
- Exit from the underworld
- Presented to Eurystheus, returned to Hades
- Principal sources
- Iconography
- Cerberus rationalized
- Cerberus allegorized
- Namesakes
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
thumb|right|Heracles, wearing his characteristic lion-skin, club in right hand, leash in left, presenting a three-headed Cerberus, snakes coiling from his snouts, necks and front paws, to a frightened [[Eurystheus hiding in a giant pot. Caeretan hydria (c. 530 BC) from Caere (Louvre E701)]]
In Greek mythology, Cerberus ( or ; Kérberos ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the monsters Echidna and Typhon, and was usually described as having three heads, a serpent for a tail, and snakes protruding from his body. Cerberus is primarily known for his capture by Heracles, the last of Heracles' twelve labours.