Exactly what the title says it is.
This is adapted from Monsters and Villains of the Movies and Literature by Gerrie McCall, Dragons: Fearsome Monsters from Myth and Fiction by Gerrie McCall, and Mythical Monsters by Chris McNab.
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BODY: The muscular body is designed for sprinting and springing on prey. Cerberus can run for an unusually long time without tiring, making it impossible to escape from him on foot. MOUTHS: Cerberus' spittle burns and poisons the earth. His brassy voice emits a bloodcurdling howl. The trio of merciless heads is intent on mutilating prey. HEADS: Cerberus' blood-red eyes, acute hearing, and slobbering mouths lined with 126 razor-sharp teeth are three times as dangerous as any dog's on Earth. TAIL: Even Cerberus' tail is poisonous, making it as dangerous as the three howling heads. A single lash from his snakelike tail is fatal.
Cerberus, the three-headed dog with a snake's tail, guards the entrance to the underworld to prevent the living from entering and the dead from escaping. If the dead attempt to escape, they are devoured. Living visitors who attempt to enter the underworld risk the same fate. His watchful eyes, keen hearing, and foul temper make it impossible to sneak past him. Those who do get past him accomplish the task through trickery. Orpheus, one of the best-known musicians in Greek mythology, can charm wild beasts with his songs. Playing a song on his lyre, Orpheus lulls Cerberus to sleep and creeps past to seek his beloved wife.
The hero Hercules is give the task of capturing Cerberus as the last of his 12 labors assigned to him by the king. The rulers of the underworld give Hercules permission to capture Cerberus on the condition he does not harm the dog. Hercules wrestles the evil creature into submission using brute strength alone. He seizes the dog by two of its throats and hauls the struggling animal out of the underworld. When Hercules brings Cerberus out of Hades, the king is so frightened that he hides in storage jar.
DID YOU KNOW? Once Hercules proved to the king that he could capture Cerberus, he returned the terrible dog to his post in Hades.
The name Cerberus means "demon of the pit."
Hades, the land of the dead in Greek mythology, lies beneath the ground. The River Styx is the boundary between the underworld and the earth. Styx represents hate and is said to wrap around Hades nine times. Cerberus, feared by the gods themselves, can be found guarding the gates of Hades.
Poisonous plants sprout from the foam that drips from his trio of snarling mouths.
