Cerberus (Labour)
conceptThe twelfth and final labour of Heracles: descending to the Underworld and bringing back Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog, without weapons.
The Myth
He wrestled a three-headed dog at the gates of Hell — bare-handed, because Hades told him no weapons. The final labour sent Heracles to the Underworld itself. He was initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries first (to learn how to navigate the dead). Hades agreed to let him take Cerberus on one condition: he must overpower the beast without weapons. Heracles seized Cerberus by the throat and squeezed until the creature submitted. He dragged it to Mycenae, where Eurystheus dove into his bronze jar in terror. Heracles then returned Cerberus to Hades. The labour is a katabasis — a descent to the land of the dead — and marks Heracles as the only hero to walk in and out of Hades by force.
Symbols
Fun Fact
Eurystheus hid in a bronze jar when Heracles brought Cerberus to Mycenae — the scene was a favorite of vase painters.
Explore Further
Cerberus
creatureThe three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld, preventing the dead from leaving and...
Eurystheus
heroKing of Mycenae who assigned Heracles his twelve labours, born prematurely through Hera's...
Hades
godRuler of the underworld and lord of the dead. Despite his fearsome reputation, Hades was not evil —...
Hades (God)
godHades was the lord of the underworld who received the dead — feared but not evil, wealthy from...
Heracles
heroThe greatest hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Famous for his...
Heracles (Labours)
heroHeracles performed twelve seemingly impossible labours as penance for killing his family in a...
Underworld
placeThe Underworld was the vast subterranean realm where all mortal souls went after death — a...
Eleusinian Mysteries
conceptThe most famous secret religious rites of ancient Greece, held annually at Eleusis in honour of...
Mysteries of Samothrace
conceptSecret rites on the island of Samothrace that promised initiates protection at sea, attracting...
Cattle of Geryon (Labour)
conceptThe tenth labour of Heracles: stealing the red cattle of the three-bodied giant Geryon from the...
Katabasis
conceptKatabasis was a living hero's descent to the underworld and return — one of Greek mythology's most...
Katabasis of Orpheus
conceptOrpheus's descent to the Underworld to retrieve Eurydice, whose loss at the threshold of return...