Editing Cacus (section)

{{Short description|Figure in Greek and Roman mythology}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2012}}
[[File:Hercules killing Cacus at his Cave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Hercules killing the fire-breathing Cacus, [[engraving]] by [[Sebald Beham]] (1545)]]
In [[Greek mythology|Greek]] and [[Roman mythology]], '''Cacus''' ({{langx|grc|Κάκος}},<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0572%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D39%3Asection%3D2 Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, 1.39.2]</ref> derived from κακός, meaning bad) was a [[fire-breathing monster|fire-breathing]] [[giant]] and the son of [[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]] ([[Plutarch]] called him son of [[Hephaestus]]).<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg113.perseus-grc1:18 Plutarch, Of Love, Moralia, 18]</ref> He was killed by [[Hercules]] after terrorizing the [[Aventine Hill]] before the [[founding of Rome]].<ref>{{cite web|title=CACUS: Giant of the Land of Latium|url=http://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GiganteKakos.html|publisher=theoi.com|accessdate=24 May 2012}}</ref>