Cerberus · Atlas

in the texts

HeraclesClassical · Greek

The three-headed hound of Hades, fetched to the upper world by Heracles as his final and greatest labor.

Heracles:

heracles ¶

Heracles:

heracles ¶

Amphitryon:

heracles ¶

AlcestisClassical · Greek

The guard-hound of the underworld (Pluto/Hades), referenced by Admetus as one of the obstacles that would not have stopped him from retrieving Alcestis.

I had gone down, nor Pluto’s hound, nor Charon, ferryman of souls, whose hand is on the oar, had held me back, till to the light I had restored thee alive.

alcestis ¶

OdysseyClassical · Greek

Monstrous hound of Hades that Herakles is sent to fetch as what he considers his hardest labor.

He once sent me here to fetch the hell-hound - for he did not think he could find any athlos harder for me than this, but I got the hound out of Hades and brought him to him, for Hermes and Athena helped me.

chapter 11 ¶

HelenClassical · Greek

The hound of Hades that Heracles was ordered to bring up from the underworld.

For example, Heracles was ordered by Eurystheus to bring the cattle from Erytheia and to obtain the apples of the Hesperides and to fetch Cerberus up from Hades and to perform other labors of that kind, labors which would bring no benefit to mankind, but only danger to himself;

helen ¶

AnabasisClassical · Greek

The dog of Hades in the mythic reference to Heracles' descent.

And they came to anchor alongside the Acherusian Chersonese, where Heracles is said to have descended to Hades after the dog Cerberus, at a spot where they now show the marks of his descent, reaching to a depth of more than two stadia.

chapter 6 ¶