Orthrus

CreatureGreece · Southern EuropeLegendFear 9/10

Description

A creature from the folklore of Greece. In Greek mythology, Orthrus (Ancient Greek: Ὄρθρος, Orthros) or Orthus (Ancient Greek: Ὄρθος…

The Legend

In Greek mythology, Orthrus (Ancient Greek: Ὄρθρος, Orthros) or Orthus (Ancient Greek: Ὄρθος, Orthos) is a two-headed dog that, according to the mythographer Apollodorus, guarded the cattle of Geryon and was killed by Heracles. He is the offspring of the monster Echidna and Typhon, and is the brother of the multi-headed guard dog Cerberus. According to Hesiod, Orthrus is considered the father of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion, but the identity of his mother is uncertain. Orthrus and his master Eurytion were tasked with guarding Geryon's herd of red cattle on the island of Erytheia, located in the far west of the Mediterranean. Heracles killed Orthrus and, after defeating Eurytion and Geryon, brought the red cattle back to complete his tenth labor.

In Popular Culture

Artistic depictions of Orthrus are rare and are always related to the incident of Heracles stealing Geryon's cattle. He is usually depicted either dead or dying, and sometimes shown pierced by one or more arrows. The earliest depiction of Orthrus can be found on a bronze horse pectoral discovered in Samos, dating to the late 7th century BC. In this work, the two-headed Orthrus is kneeling with an arrow protruding from one head, while Geryon stands before him. Additionally, on a red-figure cup by Euphronios, the two-headed Orthrus is lying with his belly facing the sky, an arrow embedded in his chest, and his serpent tail still writhing behind him.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Orthrus" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia