Orthrus is another multi-headed hound from Greek Mythology, although not as famous as his brother, Cerberus, the famous hound that guards the entrance to the Underworld. Orthrus is sometimes shown in art with the tail of a dog, but on other occasions he has the tail of a serpent. Either way, Orthrus would be terrifying to anyone who saw him. It is hard to envision Orthrus as a lovely dog with a happy wagging dog’s tail!

A quote from Hesiod, Theogony, 980 –

‘And the daughter of Ocean, Callirrhoe bore a son who was the strongest of all men. Geryones, who mighty Hercules killed in a sea-girt Erthea for the sake of his shambling oxen’

Orthrus is also in the Labours of Hercules, which is where his story is mainly found. Orthrus was involved in Hercule’s Tenth Labour, and it did not end well for poor Orthrus, but whenever Hercules was involved the creatures, he was sent to subdue, or kill, never had a happy ending. Orthrus is described in Greek Mythology as the son of Echidna and Typhon, who were also the parents of other creatures such as the Hydra, the Chimera and Cerberus. There are other versions which have Orthrus as their parent, and also have Orthrus as the parent of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion.