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Orthrus
EntityQ336230· pop 39· linked from 297 articles

thumb|280px|A two-headed Orthrus, with snake tail, lying wounded at the feet of Heracles (left) and the three-bodied [[Geryon (right). Detail from a red-figure kylix by Euphronios, 550–500 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Munich 2620).]] In Greek mythology, Orthrus (, Orthros) or Orthus (, Orthos) was, according to the mythographer Apollodorus, a two-headed dog who guarded Geryon's cattle and was killed by Heracles. He was the offspring of the monsters Echidna and Typhon, and the brother of Cerberus, who was also a multi-headed guard dog.

Wikidata facts

Father
Typhon
Mother
Echidna
Sibling
Cerberus
Owned by
Geryon
Image
Orthos Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2620.jpg
Show 5 more facts
Commons category
Orthrus
killed by
Heracles
different from
Orthos
unmarried partner
chimera
name in native language
Όρθρος
Sources (1)

via Wikidata · CC0

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

8 sections
Contents
  • Name
  • Mythology
  • In art
  • Similarities with Cerberus
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

thumb|280px|A two-headed Orthrus, with snake tail, lying wounded at the feet of Heracles (left) and the three-bodied [[Geryon (right). Detail from a red-figure kylix by Euphronios, 550–500 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Munich 2620).]] In Greek mythology, Orthrus (, Orthros) or Orthus (, Orthos) was, according to the mythographer Apollodorus, a two-headed dog who guarded Geryon's cattle and was killed by Heracles. He was the offspring of the monsters Echidna and Typhon, and the brother of Cerberus, who was also a multi-headed guard dog.

==Name== His name is given as either "Orthrus" (Ὄρθρος) or "Orthus" (Ὄρθος). For example, Hesiod, the oldest source, calls the hound "Orthus", while Apollodorus calls him "Orthrus".

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Orthrus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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