![]() This meaning gives a lot of credence to Greek myths that describe Cerberus as a loyal guide for the dead, but a vicious creature who attacks and devours those who attempt to leave the underworld. There have been some ancient sources that have made the claim that Cerberus’s name comes from the Greek word creoboros, which means “flesh-devouring”. ![]() Owing to the role that he played in the underworld, Cerberus’s had very sharp hearing it’s been said that he could hear everything that went on around the boundaries of the underworld. And the Latin poet Horace described the beast as having a three-tongued mouth that was poisonous. According to Euphorion, the monster possessed eyes that literally shot out fire. It was often the case that the Greeks believed Cerberus ate raw flesh. Read More: List of Roman Deities and their Greek Equivalents A flesh-eating monster with fiery eyes In quite a good number of the the Greek and Roman art that we have discovered so far, Cerberus is often seen with two visible dog heads. However, Quintus Horatius Flaccus, the Roman lyric poet during the era of Emperor Augustus, described Cerberus as having just one dog head and a hundred snake heads. Similarly, ancient Greek lyric poet Pindar of Thebes described Cerberus as a monster with hundred heads. | Image: Heracles, chain in left hand, his club laid aside, calms a two-headed Cerberus, which has a snake protruding from each of his heads, a mane down his necks and back, and a snake tail.Īccording to an account by ancient Greek poet Hesiod, Cerberus possesses a total of fifty heads. In the Greek and Roman art that we have discovered so far, Cerberus is often seen with two visible dog heads. Latin writer and mythographer Fabius Planciades Fulgentius stated that Cerberus’s three heads symbolized three very immense human strife – nature, cause and accident. In some accounts, some authors opined that the heads were symbols of birth, youth and old age. ![]() To both ancient Greeks and Romans, Cerberus’s three heads symbolized the past, present and the future. Similarly, his tail was that of a serpent. It was believed that his mane was made from hundreds of poisonous snakes. The ancient Greeks commonly depicted Cerberus as a three-headed hound with razor-sharp teeth and claws similar to that of a lion. However, the common denominator is the terrifying nature of this ancient Greek mythical hellhound. Over the centuries, depictions of Cerberus in art and literature have been diverse. ![]() Symbol: aconite plant How the Greeks and Romans depicted Cerberus Siblings: Chimera, Orthrus, and the Lernaean Hydra. Image: Cerberus, with the gluttons in Dante’s Third Circle of Hell. Cerberus: Fast FactsĬerberus is the multi-headed hound that stands guard at the gates of Underworld (i.e. It includes the birth story, symbols, and powers of this monstrous mythical creature. What else was this three-headed monster most known for? In the article below WHE explores all the major myths surrounding Cerberus, a terrifying three-headed dog placed at the entrance of the underworld in Greek mythology. It is for this reason Cerberus was sometimes known as the “hound of Hades”, as the word Hades was also used as a synonym of the underworld in Greek mythology. He was also tasked to perform other duties: first, prevent the dead from escaping the underworld second, stop any living being from making it into the underworld without the permission of Hades. A loyal servant of the Greek god Hades, Cerberus was placed at the gates of hell to gracefully guide the dead into the underworld. In ancient Greek mythology, that role fell to Cerberus, a monstrous three-headed dog whose mane was made from several hundreds of poisonous snakes. In Norse mythology, it is Garmr, the fierce blood-stained wolf/dog. In ancient Egypt, the jackal-headed god Anubis, also known as the god of funerals and embalming, was the one who stood guard at the Underworld. the living, from making their way into the underworld as well as keep the dead from leaving the underworld. The rationale for doing so is to prevent uninvited people, i.e. What is even more interesting is that the place is often guarded by gods and other mythical creatures. A quick look at some of the major mythologies and religions around the world and immediately one cannot help but notice that the concept of the underworld exists in almost every one of them.
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