November 2021.pptx

Dogs in history mythology
Cerberus
This month, we’re looking into Greek mythology rather than history, where we find
a rather scary dog named Cerberus.
There are many unique creatures mentioned in Greek mythology. One of the most well
known may be the three-headed dog known as Cerberus. It was the job of Cerberus to
guard the entrance to Hades. In Greek mythology, this was the underworld where spirits
of the dead were the only ones allowed to enter. No one was permitted to leave.
The Greeks had a deep respect as well as fear of wild dogs. The mythical dog Cerberus
is an example of what the Greeks feared most in a dog. It also shows the respect they
had for the abilities of dogs to be guardians.
Parents
Typhon was the father of Cerberus; a large fire-breathing dragon who was also a god.
He had large glowing red eyes, a hundred wings as well as a hundred heads. The gods
who lived on Mount Olympus were very afraid of Typhon. His life mission was to destroy
the world as well as put obstacles in the path of Zeus who was trying to move toward the
Kingdom of Heaven.
The mother of Cerberus was Echidna; half snake
and half human woman. She had the head and
torso of a beautiful woman and the lower part of her
body was that of a serpent. She lived in a cave and
lured men there before she consumed them.
Guard dog
The primary job of Cerberus in Greek mythology
was as a guard hdog, guarding the gates to the
underworld. He was also a faithful servant to Hades,
who was the god of the underworld. Cerberus is
most often depicted moving along the banks of the
river Styx. This river was the established boundary
between the dead of the underworld and the living of
the earth.
Cerberus and Hades: The sculpture
can be found at the Archaeological
Museum in Heraklion.
The three-headed dog prevented those were dead
from escaping, as well as kept the living from going
there without the permission of Hades. Cerberus
was very friendly to the dead, as well as to any new
spirits who entered the underworld. He would also
become savage and would eat any of them who
tried to get past him and go back to the land of the
living!