(1) εἴρηται περὶ Κερβέρου ὡς κύων ὢν τρεῖς εἶχε κεφαλάς. (2) δῆλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ οὗτος ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐκλήθη Τρικάρηνος, ὥσπερ ὁ Γηρυόνης· ἔλεγον δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι “καλός τε καὶ μέγας ὁ Τρικάρηνος κύων.” (3) εἴρηται δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς Ἡρακλῆς αὐτὸν ἐξ Ἅιδου ἀνήγαγε, μυθικῶς. (4) ἐγένετο δὲ τοιόνδε τι. (5) Γηρυόνῃ ἐπὶ ταῖς βουσὶν ἦσαν κύνες μεγάλοι καὶ νεανίαι, ὀνόματα δὲ ἦν αὐτοῖς τῷ μὲν Κέρβερος, τῷ δὲ Ὄρθος. (6) τὸν μὲν οὖν Ὄρθον Ἡρακλῆς ἐν Τρικαρηνίᾳ πρὶν περιελάσαι τὰς βοῦς ἀναιρεῖ· ὁ δὲ Κέρβερος συνηκολούθει ταῖς βουσίν. (7) ἐπιθυμήσας δὲ τοῦ κυνὸς ἀνὴρ Μυκηναῖος ὄνομα Μολοττός, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ᾔτει τὸν Εὐρυσθέα ἀποδόσθαι αὐτῷ τὸν κύνα· οὐ βουλομένου δὲ τοῦ Εὐρυσθέως, ἀναπείθει τοὺς βουκόλους καὶ κατείργνυσι τὸν κύνα ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ ἐπὶ Ταινάρῳ ἐν σπηλαίῳ τινὶ τεκνοποιίας ἕνεκα, καὶ ὑφίησιν αὐτῷ κύνας θηλείας ἐμβατεύειν. (8) Εὐρυσθεὺς δὲ πέμπει Ἡρακλέα κατὰ ζήτησιν τοῦ κυνός. (9) ὁ δὲ πᾶσαν Πελοπόννησον περιιὼν ἦλθεν ὅπου αὐτῷ ἐμηνύθη ὁ κύων ὑπάρχειν, καὶ καταβὰς ἀνάγει ἐκ τοῦ ἄντρου τὸν κύνα. (10) ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι “διὰ τοῦ ἄντρου καταβὰς εἰς Ἅιδου Ἡρακλῆς ἀνήγαγε τὸν κύνα.”
notes
Like the killing of the Hydra in the previous story, the capture of Cerberus was assigned as one of Heracles’ labors by King Eurystheus. According to Greek myth, Cerberus was a three-headed dog that dwelled in the underworld, guarding its entrances to prevent dead spirits from escaping. In most versions of the myth, Cerberus has three heads, although certain texts portray him with either fifty (e.g. Hesiod, Theogony 312) or one hundred heads (Horace, Carmina 2.13.34). Palaephatus’ rationalization includes figures from Heracles’ earlier labors as well, such as the giant Geryon and his dog Orthos.
For a fuller version of the story that Palaephatus is responding to, see Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.5.12; Vergil, Aeneid 6.417–25; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.408–19.
For ancient depictions of this myth, see Heracles presenting Cerberus to Eurystheus ca. 550–500 BCE.
1
εἴρηται: 3rd sing. pf. indic. pass. > λέγω.
2
Τρικάρηνος, ὥσπερ ὁ Γηρυόνης: see Ch. 24, in which the allegedly three-headed monster Geryon is said to have come from a city named Τρικαρηνία, “Tri-Peaks” or “Three-head-ville.”
3
μυθικῶς: take closely with εἴρηται.
5
Γηρυόνῃ … ἦσαν κύνες: dative of possessor, “Geryon had dogs.”
ἐπὶ ταῖς βουσὶν: “to guard his cattle” (LSJ ἐπί B.III.6).
αὐτοῖς τῷ μὲν … τῷ δὲ: datives of possessor.
6
οὖν: the particle marks the transition from background information to the narrative action itself.
πρὶν: + infin., “before.”
7
ὄνομα Μολοττός: a name that recalls the Molossian hound breed, famous in antiquity.
οὐ βουλομένου δὲ τοῦ Εὐρυσθέως: genitive absolute.
ἀναπείθει: the subject is Molottos.
κατείργνυσι: 3rd sing. pres. indic. act. > καθείργνυμι, Ionic dialect form.
ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ ἐπὶ Ταινάρῳ: Cape Taenarum was traditionally held to contain one of the entrances to the underworld.
Λακωνικῇ: supply the noun, γῇ.
αὐτῷ: refers to the hound, Cerberus.
ἐμβατεύειν: an infinitive expressing purpose: “for him to mount.”
9
ὅπου αὐτῷ ἐμηνύθη ὁ κύων ὑπάρχειν: “where the dog was revealed to him to be.”
αὐτῷ: refers to Heracles.
10
οὖν: the particle marks a change of topic. Here, it is from what happened to what was said about what happened, i.e., from deeds to words.
vocabulary
1
Κέρβερος –ου, ὁ Cerberus
κύων, κυνός, ὁ/ἡ dog
2
Τρικάρηνος –ον three-headed
Γηρυόνης –ου, ὁ Geryon
3
Ἡρακλῆς –έους, ὁ Heracles, the Greek hero
ᾍδης –ου, ὁ Hades; the underworld
ἀνάγω, ἀνάξω, ἀνήγαγον to lead up, bring back
μυθικῶς, adv. falsely, mythically
5
νεανίας –ου, ὁ young man
Ὄρθος –ου, ὁ Orthos (male name)
6
Τρικαρηνία –ας, ἡ Tri-Peaks (city name)
περιελαύνω, περιελῶ, περιήλασα, περιελήλακα, —, — to round up
συνακολουθέω, contr. to accompany, follow along with (+ dat.)
7
ἐπιθυμέω, contr. to desire (+ gen.)
Μυκηναῖος –α –ον Mycenean, from Mycenae
Μολοττός –ου, ὁ Molottos (male name); also the name of the "Molossian" hound breed
Εὐρυσθεύς –έως, ὁ Eurystheus, the king for whom Heracles performed his legendary twelve labors
ἀναπείθω, ἀναπείσω, ἀνέπεισα, ἀναπέπεικα, ἀναπέπεισμαι, ἀνεπείσθην to persuade
βουκόλος –ου, ὁ herdsman
καθείργνυμι, κατείρξω, — to shut in, hem in
Λακωνικός –ή –όν Laconic, of Lacedaemon/Laconia
Ταίναρον –ου, τό Taenarum, a cape in the south of Laconia
σπήλαιον –ου, τό cave
τεκνοποιία –ας, ἡ the bearing of children/offspring
ὑφίημι, ὑφήσω, ὑφῆκα, —, ὑφεῖμαι, ὑφείθην to lower something (acc.) down for someone (dat.)
θῆλυς, θήλεια, θῆλυ female
ἐμβατεύω to mount
8
ζήτησις –εως, ἡ a search, investigation
9
Πελοπόννησος –ου, ἡ Peloponnese
περίειμι to go around, wander
μηνύω, μηνύσω, ἐμήνυσα, μεμήνυκα, μεμήνυμαι, ἐμηνύθην to disclose, reveal
καταβαίνω, καταβήσομαι, κατέβην, καταβέβηκα, —, — to go down
ἄντρον –ου, τό cave