Cerberus is the terrifying three-headed watchdog of Hades. Snarling and growling, the black dog ensures that no one enters or leaves the underworld without permission. Only Orpheus and Hercules are said to have bested Cerberus.
History
Cerberus appears in Greek literature, art, and pottery, often in varying forms. Some poets and artists give the dog a lion’s feet or serpents around its neck, but Cerberus is always depicted as a guardian of the underworld. The dog appears in works by Plato, Dante, and Shakespeare, among others, cementing its place in the realm of mythology.
Story
Cerberus lifts one head high, sniffing into the darkness. It fears nothing, but its other two heads search the black ahead with gleaming eyes. Someone is coming. Only small torches light the gates of Hades, but Cerberus’ eyes have long grown accustomed to the night. The figure that approaches is a man, very muscular, wearing a lion skin and carrying a club. Could it be the hero Hercules? Cerberus growls, clawing the ground near the gate. One head lets out a howl, the second bares it teeth and snarls, the third simply stares at the newcomer. Hercules, come to complete his twelfth labor, stops, eyeing the terrifying Cerberus. A battle for the ages is about to begin.