Orthrus

In Greek mythology, Orthrus was a two-headed dog that guarded the cattle of a powerful figure named Geryon. According to stories told by the ancient writer Apollodorus, Orthrus had two heads and was a very strong and scary creature. He was one of the children of two huge monsters called Echidna and Typhon.

Orthrus had a famous brother named Cerberus, who was also a multi-headed dog but known for guarding a very special place. The hero Heracles had to face many challenges in his adventures, and one of them was fighting Orthrus to take away Geryon’s cattle. This story is part of the great myths that help us learn about the brave actions of heroes and the powerful creatures they met.

Name

His name is either "Orthrus" (Ὄρθρος) or "Orthus" (Ὄρθος). For example, the poet Hesiod, one of the oldest sources, calls the dog "Orthus", while the mythographer Apollodorus calls him "Orthrus".

Mythology

According to Hesiod, Orthrus was the father of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion. It is not clear who Orthrus' mother was.

Orthrus and his master Eurytion were in charge of guarding a giant's herd of red cattle in a faraway land called Erytheia. Heracles fought and defeated Orthrus as part of his tenth labor. Later, Heracles also defeated Eurytion and the giant before taking the cattle.

In art

Orthrus is rarely shown in art, and when he is, it is always linked to Heracles stealing Geryon's cattle. He is often shown injured or falling, sometimes with arrows in his body.

The oldest picture of Orthrus is on a bronze piece from Samos made around the seventh century BC. It shows Orthrus with two heads, one pierced by an arrow, sitting at the feet of Geryon. Heracles stands nearby, wearing his famous lion skin.

A cup made around 550–500 BC by Euphronios from Vulci shows Orthrus lying on his back with an arrow in his chest, and his snake tail still moving. Heracles fights Geryon, who has three bodies. An Attic black-figure neck amphora by the Swing Painter from the same time shows Orthrus at Geryon's feet, with two arrows through one head and a dog tail.

Similarities with Cerberus

Orthrus is very similar to Cerberus, the famous dog from ancient stories. Both dogs were born from the same parents, Echidna and Typhon. Like Orthrus, Cerberus also had many heads—sometimes shown with fifty or even one hundred, but often just three in stories. Both dogs were guards: Cerberus kept watch over the gates of Hades, and Orthrus guarded special cattle. The hero Heracles faced and defeated both of them during his famous tasks.