Heracles and Cerberus
For his final Labour, Heracles descends alive into the Underworld and brings Cerberus, the guardian hound of Hades, into the world above.
The Story
The final and most extraordinary Labour required Heracles to enter the Underworld.
Eurystheus ordered him to bring back Cerberus.
Cerberus was the monstrous hound who guarded the realm of Hades and prevented the dead from escaping.
Heracles therefore had to travel into the world of the dead while still alive.
The journey placed him beyond the ordinary limits of mortal experience.
In an important tradition, Heracles received permission to take Cerberus provided that he could master the creature without relying upon ordinary weapons.
Heracles confronted the hound directly.
Using his immense strength, he subdued Cerberus and brought him out of the Underworld.
The sight of the monstrous guardian terrified Eurystheus.
Heracles had nevertheless completed the impossible task.
Cerberus was afterward returned to the Underworld.
The final Labour therefore ended not with the destruction of the guardian but with Heracles demonstrating that he could cross the boundary between life and death and return.
Few achievements better expressed the extraordinary status the hero had reached by the end of his Labours.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The capture of Cerberus is traditionally the final Labour and represents the greatest boundary crossed by Heracles: he enters the realm of death alive and returns.
Traditions & Variations
Accounts differ over Heracles' route into the Underworld, the conditions imposed by Hades and the precise manner in which Cerberus was subdued.