And, like these close relatives, Cerberus was, with only the rare iconographic exception, multi-headed. His father was the multi snake-headed Typhon, and Cerberus was the brother of three other multi-headed monsters, the multi-snake-headed Lernaean Hydra Orthrus, the two-headed dog that guarded the Cattle of Geryon and the Chimera, who had three heads: that of a lion, a goat, and a snake. Cerberus had several multi-headed relatives. Cerberus was usually three-headed, though not always. Descriptions ĭescriptions of Cerberus vary, including the number of his heads. Another suggested etymology derives Cerberus from 'Ker berethrou', meaning 'evil of the pit'. An etymology given by Servius (the late-fourth-century commentator on Virgil)-but rejected by Ogden-derives Cerberus from the Greek word creoboros meaning 'flesh-devouring'. Though probably not Greek, Greek etymologies for Cerberus have been offered. However, as Ogden observes, this analysis actually requires Kerberos and Garmr to be derived from two different Indo-European roots (* ker- and * gher- respectively), and so does not actually establish a relationship between the two names. Lincoln notes a similarity between Cerberus and the Norse mythological dog Garmr, relating both names to a Proto-Indo-European root *ger- 'to growl' (perhaps with the suffixes -*m/*b and -*r). This etymology was also rejected by Manfred Mayrhofer, who proposed an Austro-Asiatic origin for the word, and Beekes. Lincoln (1991), among others, critiques this etymology. It has been claimed to be related to the Sanskrit word सर्वरा sarvarā, used as an epithet of one of the dogs of Yama, from a Proto-Indo-European word * k̑érberos, meaning 'spotted'. Ogden refers to attempts to establish an Indo-European etymology as 'not yet successful'.

The etymology of Cerberus' name is uncertain.

Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete, Greece.

Hades and persephone painting