Orthrus

Orthrus
For the genus of jumping spiders, see Orthrus.
Orthrus dead at the feet of Geryon and Heracles, red-figure kylix, 510–500 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Inv. 2620).

In Greek mythology, Orthrus (Orthros) or Orthus (Orthos) (Greek: Ὄρθρος; Ὄρθος) was a two-headed dog and a doublet ("brother") of Cerberus, both whelped by the chthonic monsters Echidna and Typhon.

He was owned by the three-bodied giant, Geryon. Orthrus and his master, Eurytion, were charged with guarding Geryon's herd of red cattle in the "sunset" land of Erytheia ("red one"), one of the islands of the Hesperides in the far west of the Mediterranean. Heracles eventually slew Orthrus, Eurytion, and Geryon, before taking the red cattle to complete his tenth labor.[1]

Orthrus was one among Echidna's fearsome brood listed in Hesiod's Theogony.[2] According to some sources, it was he rather than Typhon that sired, with Echidna, further chthonic monstrous creatures: the Chimera, the Sphinx,[3] the Lernaean Hydra, and even, Hesiod says, the Nemean lion, and Cerberus.

Notes

  1. ^ Apollodorus, Library, 2.5.10ff.
  2. ^ Hesiod, Theogony, 306ff.
  3. ^ Iliad ix.664

References

External links



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Orthrus — ? Orthrus Научная классификация Царство: Животные Тип: Членистоногие Класс: Паукообразные …   Википедия

  • Orthrus — Orthrus …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Orthrus (spider) — orthrus Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida …   Wikipedia

  • Orthrus (genus) — Taxobox name = Orthrus image caption = image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Arachnida ordo = Araneae familia = Salticidae subfamilia = Amycinae tribus = Astiini genus = Orthrus genus authority = Simon, 1900… …   Wikipedia

  • ОРФР —    • Orthrus,          см. Hercules, Геркулес, 9 …   Реальный словарь классических древностей

  • List of Salticidae species N-P — includes all described species with ascientific name starting from N to P of the spider family Salticidae as of July 13, 2008.Nagaina Nagaina Peckham Peckham, 1896 * Nagaina berlandi Soares Camargo, 1948 Brazil * Nagaina diademata Simon, 1902… …   Wikipedia

  • Geryon — In Greek mythology, Geryon (Geryones, Geyron), son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe and grandson of Medusa was a fearsome giant who dwelt on the island Erytheia of the mythic Hesperides in the far west of the Mediterranean. A more literal minded later… …   Wikipedia

  • List of characters in the Camp Half-Blood series — This is a list of characters in the Percy Jackson the Olympians series and in the The Heroes of Olympus series. Contents 1 Main characters 1.1 Perseus Jackson 1.2 Annabeth Chase …   Wikipedia

  • Echidna (mythology) — In the most ancient layers of Greek mythology Echidna (Greek: Ἔχιδνα) ( ekhis (ἔχις), meaning she viper ) was called the Mother of All Monsters . Echidna was described by Hesiod as a female monster spawned in a cave, who mothered with her mate… …   Wikipedia

  • Chimera (mythology) — The Chimera on a red figure Apulian plate, ca 350–340 BC (Musée du Louvre) For other uses of the term chimera, see Chimera (disambiguation). The Chimera or Chimaera ( …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”