, the three-headed hound.

Heracles put upon him the impenetrable lion's skin and set forth once
more. This might indeed be the last of his life's labors: Cerberus was
not an earthly monster, and he who would struggle with Cerberus in the
Underworld would have the gods of the dead against him.

But Heracles went on. He journeyed to the cave Tainaron, which was an
entrance to the Underworld. Far into that dismal cave he went, and then
down, down, until he came to Acheron, that dim river that has beyond it
only the people of the dead. Cerberus bayed at him from the place where
the dead cross the river. Knowing that he was no shade, the hound
sprang at Heracles, but he could neither bite nor tear through that
impenetrable lion's skin. Heracles held him by the neck of his middle
head so that Cerberus was neither able to bite nor tear nor bellow.

Then to the brink of Acheron came Persephone, queen of the Underworld.
She declared to Heracles that the gods of the dead would not strive
against him if he promised to bring Cerberus back to the Underworld,
carrying the hound downward again as he carried him upward.

This Heracles promised. He turned around and he carried Cerberus, his
hands around the monster's neck while foam dripped from his jaws. He
carried him on and upward toward the world of men. Out through a cave
that was in the land of Troezen Heracles came, still carrying Cerberus
by the neck of his middle head.

From Troezen to Myceaae the hero went and men fled before him at the
sight of the monster that he carried. On he went toward the king's
palace. Eurystheus was seated outside his palace that day, looking at
the great jar that he had often hidden in, and thinking to himself that
Heracles would never appear to affright him again. Then Heracles
appeared. He called to Eurystheus, and when the king looked up he held
the hound toward him. The three heads grinned at Eurystheus; he gave a
cry and scrambled into the jar. But before his feet touched the bottom
of it Eurystheus was dead of fear. The jar rolled over, and Heracles
looked upon the body that was all twisted with fright. Then he turned
around and made his way back to the Underworld. On the brink of Acheron
he loosed Cerberus, and the bellow of the three-headed hound was heard
again.

II

It was then that Heracles was given arms by the gods the sword of
Hermes, the bow of Apollo, the shield made by Hephaestus; it was then
that Heracles joined the Argon