Discover the Underworld's Fiercest Guard Dog: Top 12 Fascinating and Fun Facts About Cerberus

1. Hell's Angel Biker Mascot

Before leash laws got... ruff, you'd see Cerberus, Hades' favorite pooch running free, probably often mistaken for a "Hell's Angel" biker mascot: The three-headed canine served as the frightening guardian of the gates in the Greek Underworld, preventing souls from escaping. It took a little divine intervention from Athena, Hermes, and Eleusinian Mysteries to aid Heracles in completing one of his twelve labors—capturing Cerberus bare-handed and ensuring the realm of the dead remained in lockdown.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Split Personalities & Snake's Tail

When life gives you Cerberus, you might just end up with a bad case of split personalities and a snake's tail: This multi-headed canine from Greek mythology sported three, if not fifty, heads, a serpent's tail, and an impressive mane made entirely of hissing snakes, all while maintaining his day job as Hades' trusty gatekeeper, preventing the dead from escaping the underworld.
Source => theoi.com

Did you know that Zeus and Hera's celestial marriage was like a cosmic soap opera, filled with Zeus' infidelity and Hera's vengeful jealousy? Discover more intriguing facts about Greek mythology!

=> Fun Facts about Greek-Mythology

3. Petrifying Paparazzo

Cerberus, the OG of "four-eyes," had a little-known side gig as a petrifying paparazzo: Unbeknownst to many, besides his famed trio of heads, Cerberus hid a fourth head on his back that could instantly turn anyone who laid eyes on it into stone.
Source => oreilly.com

4. Cerberus' Sweet Tooth

Who knew Cerberus had a sweet tooth? Looks like that three-headed dog really knows how to "play dead" when honey cakes are involved: Contrary to the myth that travelers placate him with honey cake treats, these divine doggy desserts actually only appear twice in his lore - in the Aeneid and Cupid and Psyche's tale, and are used solely to trick him into snoozing or cause a diversion! So the idea of honey cakes as a calming snack is just a modern tall-tale, but let's not tell Cerberus or he might get a bit "ruff" about it.
Source => reddit.com

5. Hercules vs. Cerberus

Whoever said "three heads are better than one" never stared down the snarling maws of Cerberus, the triple-domed canine terror of the underworld. Rampaging through chew toys and underworld intruders alike, this hound might just win "Best in Show" for locking up the land of the dead: That is, until our rippling-muscled hero Hercules yanked his legendary leash, harnessing the hound's wild force to complete his twelfth labor. Despite taking a not-so-playful bite from a dragon tail, Hercules proved that brute strength can triumph over even the fiercest of furballs; he captured Cerberus, paraded him before Eurystheus, and then let those gnarly snarls return to guarding Hades' haunted halls.
Source => perseus.tufts.edu

6. Fearsome Triple Threat

Forget any canine conundrums like "Two heads are better than one" or "Who let the three-headed dogs out?" – turns out, Greek mythology had already unleashed a heck of a pupper: Cerberus, the three-headed dog guarding the underworld, didn't have each noggin representing the past, present, and future as some may believe. In reality: This triple-threat of a tail-wagger was depicted with multiple heads simply to emphasize his fearsome nature and to signify that he was an unstoppable, drool-drenched force to be reckoned with.
Source => extraordinaryconversations.com

7. Extraordinary Hearing & Raw Meat Diet

Despite not moonlighting as a hairdresser's nightmare with a mane of snakes or auditioning for the role of Drogon's stunt double, Cerberus still managed to make a name for himself: this multi-headed canine didn't breathe fire or sport serpentine locks, but boasted extraordinary hearing and enjoyed feasting on a raw meat diet.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Hound of the Hors d'oeuvres

I bet you didn't know Cerberus was a big foodie! The original Hound of the Hors d'oeuvres, Cerberus, always had his snout sniffing out the tastiest munchies in ancient Greece, even when on the job: As the three-headed canine guardian of the underworld, Cerberus could be appeased and bypassed by offering him a scrumptious treat or meal, proving that the monstrous offspring of Typhon and Echidna, both significant mythological beings, was a true food lover at heart.
Source => greekmyths-interpretation.com

9. Hades' Hellish Ranch

Who let the dogs (and cows) out, Hades? Besides being the proud owner of the Underworld's most infamous three-headed pup, Hades apparently decided to "mooove" into ranching too: Cerberus was in good company with an immortal herd of sable-black cattle, looked after by the daimon-herdsman Menoites, and Hades himself was often depicted holding a grey asphodel plant, a symbol of his divine taste in hellish flora.
Source => theoi.com

10. Ruff Family Reunion

Talk about a ruff family reunion: Orthrus, the two-headed dog from Greek mythology, was actually a sibling of the fearsome Cerberus and Chimera, all monstrous offspring of Typhoeus and Echidna. Tasked with guarding Geryon's red cattle on the island of Erytheia, this duet of doggy heads ended up facing a tragic duet with Herakles, who struck them down in one of his twelve labours.
Source => theoi.com

11. Orpheus Lulls Cerberus

Who let the dogs out? Orpheus did – with his harp: It is said that the ferocious and fearsome Cerberus, guardian of the Underworld, had a soft spot for soothing tunes and was lulled by the legendary musician's melodies, who then managed to slip past the three-headed canine to save his wife's soul.
Source => perseus.tufts.edu

12. Heracles Unleashes Cerberus

Who let the dogs out? Heracles, actually: Cerberus, the mythological three-headed beast with a snake updo, was captured by Heracles as part of his last labor, ultimately revealing that the fearsome guardian of the Underworld was not a warning to the living but actually a loyal errand boy for Hades, keeping the dead from escaping back to the world above.
Source => mythopedia.com