Editing Cerberus (section)

==Cerberus rationalized==
At least as early as the 6th century BC, some ancient writers attempted to explain away various fantastical features of Greek mythology;<ref>Stern, [https://books.google.com/books?id=t4EfiGQwgh4C&pg=PA7 p. 7]; Ogden 2013a, [https://books.google.com/books?id=FQ2pAK9luwkC&pg=PA183 p. 183].</ref> included in these are various rationalized accounts of the Cerberus story.<ref>Ogden 2013a, [https://books.google.com/books?id=FQ2pAK9luwkC&pg=PA184 pp. 184–185].</ref> The earliest such account (late 6th century BC) is that of [[Hecataeus of Miletus]].<ref>[[Hecataeus of Miletus]], fr. *27 a Fowler (Fowler 2000, p. 136) (''apud'' [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+3.25.4 3.25.4–5]), (cf. ''FGrH'' 1 F27); Hawes, [https://books.google.com/books?id=tyuTAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA8 p. 8]; Hopman, [https://books.google.com/books?id=hb4hAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA182 p. 182]; Ogden 2013a, p. 107; Ogden 2013b, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Vv0Fxm6Amh4C&pg=PA72 pp. 72–73].</ref> In his account Cerberus was not a dog at all, but rather simply a large venomous snake, which lived on [[Tainaron]]. The serpent was called the "hound of Hades" only because anyone bitten by it died immediately, and it was this snake that Heracles brought to Eurystheus. The geographer Pausanias (who preserves for us Hecataeus' version of the story) points out that, since Homer does not describe Cerberus, Hecataeus' account does not necessarily conflict with Homer, since Homer's "Hound of Hades" may not in fact refer to an actual dog.<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+3.25.6 3.25.6].</ref>

Other rationalized accounts make Cerberus out to be a normal dog. According to [[Palaephatus]] (4th century BC)<ref>Palaephatus, ''On Unbelievable Tales'' 39 (Stern, [https://books.google.com/books?id=t4EfiGQwgh4C&pg=PA71 pp. 71–72]).</ref> Cerberus was one of the two dogs who guarded the cattle of [[Geryon]], the other being [[Orthrus]]. Geryon lived in a city named Tricranium (in Greek ''Tricarenia'', "Three-Heads"),<ref>Ogden 2013a, [https://books.google.com/books?id=FQ2pAK9luwkC&pg=PA187 p. 187].</ref> from which name both Cerberus and Geryon came to be called "three-headed". Heracles killed Orthus, and drove away Geryon's cattle, with Cerberus following along behind. Molossus, a Mycenaen, offered to buy Cerberus from Eurystheus (presumably having received the dog, along with the cattle, from Heracles). But when Eurystheus refused, Molossus stole the dog and penned him up in a cave in Tainaron. Eurystheus commanded Heracles to find Cerberus and bring him back. After searching the entire Peloponnesus, Heracles found where it was said Cerberus was being held, went down into the cave, and brought up Cerberus, after which it was said: "Heracles descended through the cave into Hades and brought up Cerberus."

In the rationalized account of [[Philochorus]], in which Heracles rescues Theseus, Perithous is eaten by Cerberus.<ref>[[Philochorus]], ''FGrH'' 328 F18a (= [[Plutarch]], ''Theseus'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0067%3Achapter%3D35%3Asection%3D1 35.1]), F18b, F18c; Harding, [https://books.google.com/books?id=KH4T9CBXwEEC&pg=PA68 pp. 68–70]; Ogden 2013b, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ir5FhAQbcfAC&pg=PA73 p. 73]; Ogden 2013a, p. 109; Gantz, p. 295; Collard and Cropp, [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-dramatic_fragments/2008/pb_LCL506.637.xml p. 637]. Compare with Plutarch, ''Theseus'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0067%3Achapter%3D31%3Asection%3D1 31.1–4]; [[John Tzetzes|Tzetzes]], ''[[Chiliades]]'' 2.36.388–411 (Greek: Kiessling, [https://books.google.com/books?id=dG0GAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA55 pp. 55–56]; English translation: Berkowitz, [https://archive.org/stream/TzetzesCHILIADES/Chiliades#page/n48/mode/1up p. 48]), 4.31.911–916 (Kiessling, [https://books.google.com/books?id=dG0GAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA153 p. 153]; Berkowitz, [https://archive.org/stream/TzetzesCHILIADES/Chiliades#page/n138/mode/1up p. 138]).</ref> In this version of the story, Aidoneus (i.e., "Hades") is the mortal king of the [[Molossians]], with a wife named Persephone, a daughter named Kore (another name for the goddess Persephone) and a large mortal dog named Cerberus, with whom all suitors of his daughter were required to fight. After having stolen Helen, to be Theseus' wife, Theseus and Perithous, attempt to abduct Kore, for Perithous, but Aidoneus catches the two heroes, imprisons Theseus, and feeds Perithous to Cerberus. Later, while a guest of Aidoneus, Heracles asks Aidoneus to release Theseus, as a favor, which Aidoneus grants.

A 2nd-century AD Greek known as [[Heraclitus the paradoxographer]] (not to be confused with the 5th-century BC Greek philosopher [[Heraclitus]])—claimed that Cerberus had two pups that were never away from their father, which made Cerberus appear to be three-headed.<ref>Ogden 2013b, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Vv0Fxm6Amh4C&pg=PA73 p. 73].</ref>