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Cerberus
A grim, watchful keeper, house-porter, guardian, etc.
Cerberus, according to Roman mythology, is the three-headed dog that
keeps the entrance of the infernal regions. Herculës dragged the
monster to earth, and then let him go again. (See Sop.)
Orpheus (2 syl.) lulled Cerberus to sleep with his lyre; and the
Sibyl who conducted Æneas through the Inferno, also threw the dog into
a profound sleep with a cake seasoned with poppies and honey.
The origin of the fable of Cerberus is from the custom of the
ancient Egyptians of guarding graves with dogs.
The exquisite cameo by Dioscoridês, in the possession of the King of
Prussia, and the painting of Hercules and Cerberus, in the Farnésé
Gallery of Rome, are of world-wide renown.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Cerberus from Infoplease:
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