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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
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| Sep 6 2011, 1:20 PM EDT | Loyal4 | 229 words added |
| May 26 2011, 4:05 PM EDT | Mythical_Geek | 13 words added |
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There is only one Cerberus know to exist in classic mythology. In Greek and Roman mythology, Cerberus (derived from Greek "kerberos") is the guardian of the gates of the Underworld, Hades. Its sole purpose is to prevent doomed souls from escaping. Cerberus; like his brother, Orthrus, and many other monsters of Greek mythology was spawned from Echidna, also known as the mother of all monsters. It is most commonly depicted as a giant dog with three heads, and sometimes a mane composed of snakes, much like the hair of the gorgon, Medusa. Some renderings portray the beast with one single tail; others two, sometimes three. The tail(s) is/are that of a serpent. The Cerberus is regarded as a great and fearsome creature and is the original and is also considered a neutral creature because he takes doomed souls to the underworld where they belong. Some think that the Hell Hound is a distant cousin of the Cerberus.
Cerberus is said to be the sibling of the Lernaean Hydra, the Nemean Lion, the Sphinx, the Ladon, and the Chimeara. It was used in one of the twelve labors of Hercules, the final labor. In most works the three-heads each respectively see and represent the past, the present, and the future, while other sources suggest the heads represent birth, youth, and old age. Each of Cerberus' heads is said to have an appetite only for live meat and thus allow the spirits of the dead to freely enter the underworld, but allow none to leave. Cerberus was always employed as Hades' loyal watchdog, and guarded the gates that granted access and exit to the underworld (also called Hades).
The Cerberus was mainly used by Hades so guards the gates of The Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping. Cerberus featured in many works of ancient Greek and Roman literature and in works of both ancient and modern art and architecture, although, the depiction and background surrounding Cerberus often differed across various works by different authors of the era. The most notable difference is the number of its heads: Most sources describe or depict three heads; others show it with two or even just one; a smaller number of sources show a variable number, sometimes as many as 50.
Cerberus is said to be the sibling of the Lernaean Hydra, the Nemean Lion, the Sphinx, the Ladon, and the Chimeara. It was used in one of the twelve labors of Hercules, the final labor. In most works the three-heads each respectively see and represent the past, the present, and the future, while other sources suggest the heads represent birth, youth, and old age. Each of Cerberus' heads is said to have an appetite only for live meat and thus allow the spirits of the dead to freely enter the underworld, but allow none to leave. Cerberus was always employed as Hades' loyal watchdog, and guarded the gates that granted access and exit to the underworld (also called Hades).
The Cerberus was mainly used by Hades so guards the gates of The Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping. Cerberus featured in many works of ancient Greek and Roman literature and in works of both ancient and modern art and architecture, although, the depiction and background surrounding Cerberus often differed across various works by different authors of the era. The most notable difference is the number of its heads: Most sources describe or depict three heads; others show it with two or even just one; a smaller number of sources show a variable number, sometimes as many as 50.
