Cerberus is an ancient creature in greek and roman mythology
with 3 heads of a dog. It guards the entrance of hades, to prevent people from
the underworld from escaping. Cerberus was the offspring of Echidna, a hybrid
half-woman and half-serpent, and Typhon, a fearful gigantic monster
The three heads usually represent the past, present and the
future while some believe it represents birth, youth and old age. It has an
appetite for live meat so doesn’t allow anyone to enter, apart from souls, and
do not allow the souls to exit.
Killing cerebrus was the 12th herculean task
given to Heracles. In the underworld, Heracles met theseus and pirithous. He
freed them both who had been captured by hades ages ago.
Heracles found hades and asked his permission to bring
cerebrus to the surface. Hades asked him to overpower the beast without using
any weapons. Heracles did so and carried the beast on his back to king
eurystheus. King was frightened of the beast and asked Heracles to carry it
back to the underworld in exchange of release from his labours.
Cerberus can also be found in the dante’s 3rd
circle of hell, where those who have succumbed to the sin of gluttony have
come.
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