Herakles and Kerberos

Dear Friends of ancient mythology!

In imperial times Herakleia Pontika has issued several coins showing the works of Herakles. Among them this ex. with a remarkable beautiful rev.

The Coin:
Bithynia, Herakleia Pontika, Septimius Severus, AD 193-211
AE 30, 17.23g, 30.09mm, 195°
obv. .AV - T. - K.Λ.CEΠ. - CEVHPOC Π
Bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, laureate, r.
rev. HPAKΛHAC - EN ΠON - TΩ
Herakles, nude, holding lion's skin and his club over l. arm, stg. with sidestep r., head l., holding with r. hand three-headed Kerberos at rope who is std. at his feet r. looking up to him
ref. SNG von Aulock 378 (obv. same die, rev. different type; for rev. look at Makrinos #379); not in SNG Copenhagen, Tübingen, SNG Lewis, Rec. Gen.
extremely rare, about VF, some roughness on obv.
Pedigree:
ex lanznumismatik, E-Bay, 2008(?)
ex coll. Andreas Kohn

Herakleia Pontika, the recent Eregli/Turkey, was found in 6th century BC by Greeks from Megara and Tanagra. The city developed to an important trading and cultural center at the southern Black Sea coast. It was said that in its neighbourhood one of the entrances to the Hades could be found, the very entrance which Herakles has used to capture the three-headed Kerberos (Lat. Cerberus)

Mythology:
According to the usual canon the story of the capture of Kerberos was the 12th one, the last and the most difficult labour of Herakles. It seems that Erystheus by this challenge has tried to get rid of Herakles for ever.

To prepare for this work Herakles went to Eleusis where he wants to be initiated into the Eleisinian Mysteries. This was possible only for Athenians. So Herakles was adopted by a certain Pylios to become an Athenian. Herakles was inaugurated by Musaios, son of Orpheus, after purification from the killing of some Kentaurs. But Eumolpios denied his initiation into the greater Eleusinian Mysteries. Instead he founded the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries so that Herakles could be initiated.

So prepared and purificated Herakles climbed down to the Underworld at the Spartan Tainaron. He was led by Athena and Hermes. Charon, frightened by his gloomy glance, brought him over the river Styx. As punishment for that Charon was laid by Hades in chains for one year. When Herakles entered the other riverside all souls fled, except Medusa and Meleager. When Herakles saw Medusa he brandished his sword but Hermes stopped him and teached him that all souls of the deceased are only empty images and couldn't be wounded. But with Meleager's soul the hero talked friendly and received greetings for his beloved sister Deianeira. Herakles offered to marry her.

Near the gates of Hades he beheld his friends Theseus and Peirithoos. Both were fixed to gruesome benches. Herakles succeeded in tearing off Theseus, but Pereithoos he has to leave behind because the ground below his feet began to shake.

Next he met Askalaphos who once has revealed that Persephone has eaten from the pomegranates, the reason because she couldn't leave the Hades. Herakles shifted from his chest the stone which was put there by Demeter in despair about the loss of her daughter. Then Herakles fell into the herds of Pluto and slaughtered one of his cattle to calm down the souls with the gift of warm blood. But the herdsman Menoitos didn't allow that and challenged Herakles for a wrestling match. Herakles clutched around his body and broke some of his ribs. In this moment Persephone came out of her palace, welcomed Herakles like a friend and asked him to spare Menoitos' life.

When Herakles demanded from Hades Kerberos, Hades answered, that he could take Kerberos if he overcome him without his weapons. So Herakles only with his lion's skin went to capture the beast. He found him chained to the gates of the river Acheron and grasped his throat. Kerberos tried to hit him with his snake tail, but Herakles was defended by his lion's skin. When Kerberos was almost suffocated he surrendered.
With the help of Athena he crossed the river Styx again and came back to surface at Troizen. He went to Mykenai and shows the dog to Erystheus. Now the king saw that it was impossible to get rid of Herakles and dismissed him. Herakles brought the dog back to Hades.

Some additional notes:
It is reported that Herakles was allowed to descend to the Hades not before he has performed an Eleusinian purification ritual because of his killing of some Centaurs. It was Eumolpos, the founder of the Greater Eleusinian Mysteries (or Musaios, son of Orpheus), who has helped him by founding the so-called Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries. But today this initiation is suggested as an Orphic addition, and does not belong to the original mythology.

In contrast the rescue of Theseus is an integral part of Herakles' descent into hell. It is reported that Herakles succeeds in tearing off Theseus from the bench where he was magically bound. The magic was so strong that parts of his hip remains at the bench. Therefore all of his offsprings were born with small hips.

In this article I want to concentrate more on Kerberos. Sadly we have no consistent conception of Kerberos. I will come back to this matter.

(1) History:
The first time Kerberos appears is in Homer's Odyssee. There he is without a special name called only "dog of Hades". The name "Kerberos" we find first in Hesiod's Theogony. There he was already the guardian of the Underworld. His parents were Typhaon and Echidna, the snake-shaped monster, mother of many other monsters like the Lernaean Hydra, the two-headed dog Orthos of Geryon, the Chimaira or the Sphinx.

(2) Etymology:
There are found several different explanations for his name: The name should be composed of kreas (= meat) and boros ((= devourer). Wikipedia says that "Kerberos" means "daimon of the pit". But I think the great doyen Wilamowitz is right who regards the name as onomatopoetic: The name is imitating the ferocious growling of the dog.

(3) Appearance:
The most striking of his shape are the three heads. But just this feature has been established only in the course of years. At Hesiod he has had initially 50 heads, later only one! Pindar writes of 100 heads, and so does Horaz. Sometimes it is said that his fur exists of 100 snakes and he should had have a snake-tail with head which has bitten Herakles. These all are poetical inventions.The description with the 3 heads (triceps, triformis), we are familiar with, is originated from the Greek tragic poets and from Apollodor (2nd cent. BC). We recognize a strange relationship to the triform Hekate who as companions has dogs too!

The connection with snakes can be ascribed to their sepulcral-chthonic character (sepulcral = belonging to the funeral culture)

Already Roscher has stated that the number of heads, generally the entire appearance of the Kerberos, isn't originated from the old popular belief but is literary decoration. On early Corinthian depictions he mostly has one head, on Attic vases he appears mostly dicephalic (with 2 heads).

(4) Tasks:
Initially Kerberos was a companion of Hades, similar to the eagle as companion of Zeus (Aischylos Prom. 1002 calls the eagle "winged dog of Zeus"; look at the dogs of Hekate!). "Dog" in archaic times occurs too in the meaning "servant". The statue of Hades Borghese shows Kerberos peacefully clung to the legs of Hades. Actually Hades as chthonic deity should have snakes as companions. We know of old depictions of Kerberos where he is entwined by snakes which were not joined to him. The honey cake mentioned below is rather an offering for snakes. Here we see an archaic residual of the original conception. Hekataios of Milet says that at the Tanairon, an entrance to Hades, an horrible snake has dwelled which was called "Dog of Hades", because the bitten victim immediately had to die by its poison. This snake was brought to Erystheus by Herakles (Paus. III, 25.3). This story does match most likely the old popular belief. We see, that the Kerberos, as we know him, was not established in the popular belief, and that poets could arrange him in that shape which serves best their interests. The poet looks for effects even if they sometimes are not quite lucky. A tail-wagging hound of hell is a bit "tasteless" (Roscher).

Then from the companion of Hades he developed to the guardian of the underworld. It is said that he has welcomed each visitor more or less friendly, but then has left him no more off the Hades. By terrific growling, loud barking and even biting he has pushed him back. It was said too that he has ripped and devoured him! Dante has set Kerberos into the 3rd circle of the Inferno because of his voracity (Comedia Divina, Canto VI).

5. Outsmarting Kerberos:
But we have some examples where he has been outsmarted. Orpheus succeeded by his chanting when he tried to bring back his wife Eurydike. The sweetness of his singing lulled Kerberos and he fell asleep. Psyche and Aeneas succeeded by feeding him with honey cakes which Kerberos was passionated about. These actually rather an offering for chthonic snakes! Hermes succeeded by his kerykeion or by water from Lethe, the underworld river of oblivion.

In Christian-Byzantine times further visits of Hades are described:
Mazari ("flourishing" c. AD 1415) has written a satire novel: Mazari's Journey to Hades, or, Interviews with dead men about certain officials of the imperial court.
Then the "Timarion": a Pseudo-Lukian satirical dialogue, where Timarion, the protagonist of the novel, is abducted to the Hades where he met Christians who are a sect among others (author perhaps Michael Psellus, 11th cenrury AD).

I want to mention that similar dogs are found in the Indian Vedas and Upanishads too. But there is no mythological connection to our Kerberos at all.

Doorways to Hades:
In Greek mythology we find several doorways to the underworld, which not only are mythological places but geographical localities. The best-known are
(1) at the Cape Tainaron (Matapan), the most south point of the Peloponnesos
(2) near Hermione (Ermioni) on the southern Peloponnesos
(3) near the city of Herakleia (today Eregli) at the southern coast of the Black Sea and
(4) at the Avernian Lake near the ancient Greek city of Cumae near Naples.

According to a report in the German magazine "Spiegel" no. 3/1964, p.80/81, the doorway to the underworld was found at the Avernian crater lake by the archaeologists Dr.Paget and Jones, two NATO navy personnel. They have entered the doorway and climbed down to the river Styx, where they have photographed the river. "The most spectacular archaeological discovery of the 20th century!" The doorway consists of volcanic caves which were passed off by priests as entrance to Hades (Official bulletin No. 201 of the NATO Headquarter).

Generally Tainaron is named as place of Herakles' descent to hell. But all reports agree that Herakles has used a different way when he came back.

Reemerging from hell:
Several locations are cited for Herakles' reemerging from hell. That's probably because these cities wished to be connected to the labours of Herakles which was seen as special honour (von Ranke-Graves).
(1) Often Troizen is mentioned, at the sanctuary of Artemis Soteira (Pausanias, Apollodor)
(2) then the chthonic area of Hermione where the way to Hades is said to be so short that there was no need to give Charon a coin for the passage. This place was seen by the great Wilamowitz as the most original!
(3) According to a Boiotian myth the area of the Laphystian Zeus on the mountain
Laphystios. Here in ancient times was located the statue of Herakles Charops, of
"Herakles with the glossy eyes" (Pausanias, Ovid)
(4) the Thesprotian Hades region at the river Acheron (most probably euhemeristic).
(5) then Tainaron again.
(6) Especially remarkable is the localization of the reemerging place to Herakleia Pontika (today Eregli). Here at the Acherusian Cape (today Cape Baba) an arm of the underworld river Acheron is said to come to the surface. Hence the linguistic relation to the Acheron and the Acherousian Lake of the Epirotic Thesprotis, which in ancient times was regarded as River of the Dead. In a gorge a cave was located leading deep into the inner of the earth, called by the inhabitants "Grotto of Hades" and identified as the place where Herakles has come back from the underworld with Kerberos.

According to Apollonios of Rhodos (Argonautika II, 726-749) this place was visited by the Argonauts. Xenophon too has visited it 355 BC on his way back to Greece.and he was shown the site on the Acherousian peninsula where Herakles has entered the Hades. The Acherousian Caves were shown still today. They are signposted as "Cehennemagzi Magaralari" and a touristic attraction. Here the Byzantine Christians have held Eucharistic celebrations and today sometimes concerts take place.

About the selection of Herakleia Pontika as exit from the Hades there is an aitiological myth: When Kerberos was fetched from the underworld he has sprayed snorting with rage his slobber, and where it dropped down to the ground helmet flower was sprouting, Akoniton (Lat. Aconitum), which appears in large numbers around Herakleia Pontika (Strab. XII 3, 7; Plin. nat. XXVI, 4). The botanical name cames from the cave of Akonai near Mariandyne at the Black Sea coast, or the mountain of Akonitos. Ovid in his Metamorphoses confirms this report, but relocates the work of Herakles to the northern coast of the Black Sea by narrating that Medea has brought Aconitum ab oris Scythicis (Ov. met. VII 406-413). Aconitum is the most poisonous plant in Europe. It contains Aconitin, an alkaloid and one of the strongest plant toxins at all, stronger than strychnine. Already 3-6mg can kill an adult man. It was used by Thessalian witches as flying ointment. Because it makes hands and feet unfeeling they had the impression of flying. The plant was called Hekateis too because it should have been Hekate who has used it first (Ranke-Graves).

Aconitum napellus

When Erystheus beheld Kerberos brought to the upperworld he fled in a pithos (a kind of a big barrel) as he did before when he saw the Erymanthian boar. It is told that Herakles has brought back the dog to the Hades. According to a myth in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri the dog has escaped at a fountain near Mykenai, which since then is called Eleutheron Hydor (= "Water of Freedom"). Or near Argos where the Kynadra spring is named after him (kynos (= Hund).

At the end the rationalist Palaiphatos has the word again, who has an entirely different view: Near the city of Trikarenos Geryon has his herds of cattle and two dogs, Orthos and Kerberos, called the Trikarenian dogs. This later was misunderstood as tree-headed. When Herakles led away the cattle of Geryon he killed Orthos. But Kerberos was following the herd. This dog Molottos, a man from Mykenai, demanded from Erystheus. When Erystheus refused he persuaded one of the herdsmen to bring the dog to a cave near the Spartan Tainaron. Erystheus thereupon commanded Herakles to bring back the dog. After a long quest over the whole Peloponnesos Herakles found the cave, climbed down and brought back the dog. But the people said "Herakles has climbed down to the Hades and brought back the dog."

Background:
While fulfilling his works Herakles has obtained threetimes immortality: Of course the successful return from Hades is the overcoming of death. But the initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries too has promised an happy afterlife; the same was said by the oracle of Delphi for the completion of his labours. The same motiv with the same success we find by drinking from Hera's breast and the quest for the apple of the Hesperids. And we remember of Herakles' Ascension to heaven on the pyre.

The descent into hell as overcoming the death we know in Christianity as Harrowing of Hell (Gospel of Thomas). In Middle Ages Herakles was seen as prefiguration of Christ himself, a promise, which then was fulfilled by Christ. Overcoming Kerberos correspondends to overcoming Satan, and like Christ Herakles has two natures: a human and a devine. He appears in the early Christian paintings in the Catacombs as hero, who by his labours and hardship has won the heaven. He is depicted wearing a nimbus. This too a sign of the continuation of antiquity! But not only Herakles and Christ have overcome the death, but a victorious resurrection we know too from Dionysos, Mithras and Osiris.

History of Art:
In antiquity we have a vast number of Herakles representations on bowls and vases, and especially on sarcophagi as expression of hope for immortality. The first depiction of the 12 labours of Herakles we find on the metopes of the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, completed 456 BC.

In Renaissance his labours are shown e.g. by G. Vasari on the ceiling of the Hercules Room in the Palazzo Vecchio in Firence. In the Palazzo Farnese in Rom we find a grisaille of Annibale Caracci with Kerberos. Ruben's "Herakles and Kerberos" hangs in the Prado in Madrid. Dante's Commedia Divina was illustrated by Gustav Dore, 1823-1883. There is a picture showing Vergil in front of Kerberos. The drawings of Dore are connected so closely to the Commedia Divina, that today, after 150 years, they define our view.

Sources:
(1) Homer, Odyssee
(2) Hesiod, Theogony
(3) Apollonius von Rhodos, Argonautika
(4) Strabo, Geographika
(5) Vergil, Aeneis
(6) Ovid, Metamorphoses
(7) Plinius, Historia naturalis
(8) Palaiphatos, Unglaubliche Geschichten
(9) Dante, Comedia Divina

Secondary Literature:
(1) W. H. Roscher, Ausführliches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie, 1894 (online too)
(2) Benjamin Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon, 1770 (online too)
(3) Der Kleine Pauly
(4) Robert von Ranke-Graves, Griechische Mythologie, 1960
(5) Karl Kerenyi, Die Mythologie der Griechen, 1966
(6) Aghion/Barbillon/Lissarrague, Lexikon der antiken Götter und Heroen in der Kunst, 2000
(7) Maurice Bloomfield, The History of an Idea, Chicago 1905 (auch online)

Online Sources:
(1) www.kimmerier.de/
(2) www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Cerberus.html
(3) www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/cerberus2.html
(4) www.theoi.com
(5) www.hellenica.de/Griechenland/PaulyRE/Acherusia2.html
(6) www.wikivoyage.org/de/Ere%C4%9Fli
(7) www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-46162751.html

I have added:
(1) the pic of a black-figured hydria from Caere/Etruria, c. 525 BD, ascribed to the Eagle Painter, today in the Louvre/Paris. It shows Herakles with Kerberos, who already has snakes, in front of Erystheus, who is hidden in his pithos.


(2) the pic of a black-figured Attic Hydria, c 530-520 BC, ascribed to the Karithaios Painter, today in the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
This picture is from Baumeister's "Denkmäler des klassischen Alterthums": Herakles with raised club leads Kerberos out of the Hades with a chain, drawn through the jaw of one of the heads. He is about to lead Kerberos through the gateway indicated by an Ionic pillar. On his right side Persephone is standing who has come out of her palace and seems to refuse him the abduction (sometimes interpreted as greeting). Herakles, turned right, seems to threaten the goddess, whereas Hermes at his left hold his protecting or restraining arm over him. Athena with averted face is ready to drive away with her protege. She stands before 4 horses tied to her chariot. The eagle on her shield promises a successful outcome of the undertaking.


(3) the pic from Gustave Dore's illustration of the Commedia Divina.


Best regards

 

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Nice coin and great post @Jochen !

 

Great coin and write up.

 

Excellent tale and coin. Usually Cerberus is so small on coins that he is hardly recognizable. My best is from A Phillip I tetradrachm of Alexandria. The heads are clear but the body is hidden behind the legs of the seated Serapis/Hades.