Cerberus in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Cerberus

14 passages from 11 ancient authors that tell of Cerberus, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Hades, let the dead enter but never leave. See his monstrous family, portrayal, and defeat in Heracles' twelfth labor. For the story in one place, read our article on Cerberus.

Hesiod (1)

Hesiod, Theogony 305–334Echidna's offspring: Cerberus, the Hydra, the Chimaera and the Sphinx (305-334)Typhaon is joined in love to Echidna, and their offspring are Orthus, Cerberus, the Hydra and the Chimaera. The Hydra is nourished by Hera and killed by Heracles with Iolaus's help, and the Chimaera is killed by Pegasus and Bellerophon. Echidna and Orthus bear the Sphinx and the Nemean lion, which Hera rears, and the section ends with Ceto and Phorcys's youngest child, the serpent that guards the golden apples.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.5.11–12The Labours of Heracles (11-12): the Golden Apples and CerberusBecause the hydra and the stables are not counted, two more labours are added. For the golden apples of the Hesperides Heracles seizes Nereus to learn the way, defeats Antaeus and Busiris, frees Prometheus from the eagle, and gets the apples by tricking Atlas into taking the sky back. He is initiated at Eleusis, goes down to Hades by Taenarum, raises Theseus (but not Pirithous), wrestles Menoetes, and carries Cerberus up to Eurystheus and back.

Aristophanes (1)

Aristophanes, Frogs 464–502Episode: Aeacus takes Dionysus for Heracles; the change of clothesAeacus takes Dionysus in his lion's skin for Heracles, who stole Cerberus, and threatens him with the hell-hounds, the Asp, the Lamprey and the Gorgons. Dionysus faints and asks for a sponge for his heart, and then proposes that they change clothes so that Xanthias takes the club and lion's skin. A maid then welcomes the supposed Heracles.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.25.1–4.27.5Heracles: Hades, Orpheus and the HesperidesHeracles is initiated at Athens in the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the historian digresses briefly on Orpheus. Heracles then descends to Hades, where Persephone welcomes him, and brings back Cerberus. For the last labour, the golden apples of the Hesperides, writers disagree about whether the prize was apples or golden-coloured sheep; the section also gives the story of Atlas and the Atlantides, whom Heracles rescues from pirates sent by Busiris, and Atlas's teaching him astronomy.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.396–562The Minyades become bats; Athamas and InoThe daughters of Minyas, who have scorned Dionysus (Bacchus), find their looms turning to vines and ivy, and they are changed into bats. Hera (Juno), angry at the honour done to Semele's sister Ino, goes down to the Underworld and sends the Fury Tisiphone to the house of Athamas, who goes mad and kills his son Learchus. Ino leaps from a cliff with her other son Melicertes, and Aphrodite (Venus) asks Poseidon (Neptune) to make them sea-gods, and Ino's Theban companions are changed into rocks and birds.

Quintus Smyrnaeus (1)

Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 6.200–334The shield of EurypylusEurypylus puts on his armour, and on his shield are shown the labours of Hercules, from the serpents in the cradle to Cerberus and the Centaurs. He tells Paris that victory lies with the gods. The Trojans rejoice, and he chooses his captains.

Heraclitus (paradoxographer) (1)

Heraclitus (paradoxographer), On Unbelievable Tales 21–39Hades, gods and transformations, from the Underworld to the oxen of HeliosThe second half deals with journeys to Hades, the fall of Phaethon, the charm of Orpheus, the golden fleece, the gods’ abductions and loves, and the transformations of Procne, the Heliades and others, replacing each miracle with a plain event or a phrase we still use. It ends with the oxen of Helios, read through Homer as a rule against slaughtering working cattle. Chapters 22, 25 and 38 touch gaps in the manuscript.

Lucian of Samosata (3)

Lucian of Samosata, Dialogues of the Dead 1.1–5.2A message for Menippus; Charon's fare; the Cynic's neighbours; Cerberus; the beautiesDiogenes asks Pollux to tell Menippus to come down and laugh at the dead. Menippus refuses to pay Charon his fare, and Croesus, Midas and Sardanapalus complain to Pluto about his mockery. Menippus asks Cerberus how Socrates behaved and asks Hermes to show him the great beauties, finding only bare skulls, one of them said to be Helen.
Lucian of Samosata, Menippus 1–10Menippus returns from Hades; the philosophers; MithrobarzanesMenippus, dressed in a cap, lion-skin and lyre, tells Philonides that he has come back from Hades. Disappointed by the philosophers, whose lives belie their teaching, he turns to the Chaldean magus Mithrobarzanes. After days of purification at the Euphrates the magus gives him the costume of Odysseus, Heracles and Orpheus for the descent.
Lucian of Samosata, Menippus 11–22Menippus in Hades; the judgement; Tiresias; the returnGuided by the magus, Menippus crosses the Acherusian plain, sees the court of Minos and the punishment of the wicked, and finds kings and rich men stripped of their splendour. He hears of the decree against the rich, and Socrates is found still questioning everybody. Tiresias tells him that the best life is the plain life of the ordinary man, and Menippus climbs back to earth at Lebadea.

Palaephatus (1)

Palaephatus, On Unbelievable Tales 33–39Orpheus to CerberusFrom Orpheus leading Bacchae down with branches to Pandora’s cosmetics, the ash-tree race, a corrupt chapter on Heracles, the sea-monster Ceton, the Hydra as a fortress and Cerberus as a dog from Tricarenia. Chapter 36 is badly corrupt.

Strabo (1)

Strabo, Geography 8.5.1–4Laconia: Taenarum, Sparta and the HelotsStrabo describes the Laconian Gulf, Taÿgetum, Sparta and Amyclae, and the temple of Poseidon (Neptune) at Taenarum beside the cave by which Heracles (Hercules) brought Cerberus up from Hades. He lists the coastal towns including Helos, and notes Homer's Messe and Las, which the Dioscuri took. He relates the Heracleidae Eurysthenes and Procles dividing Laconia, and the origin of Helot slavery under Agis.

Virgil (2)

Virgil, Aeneid 6.417–476Cerberus, the Fields of Mourning and DidoThe Sibyl drugs Cerberus with a honeyed cake, and Aeneas passes him. He hears the cries of infants, then passes the souls unjustly condemned and those who took their own lives. In the Fields of Sorrow, where those wasted by love wander, he sees Dido and speaks to her in tears, swearing that he left Carthage only by divine command. She keeps her eyes on the ground, says nothing, and flees to her first husband Sichaeus.
Virgil, Georgics 4.453–527Orpheus and EurydiceProteus says Orpheus, grieving for his bride Eurydice, is the cause of the plague. Eurydice died when a water-snake lay in the grass as she fled, and Orpheus went down to the palace of Hades (Dis), where his song stilled the shades, Cerberus and the Eumenides. He led her up but looked back at the threshold of day, and she vanished. He mourned for months, and the Ciconian women tore him apart, and his head still called her name down the Hebrus.