Aviad Bubill, Statue of Hades and Cerberus. The Archeological Musem of Crete, Greece

Zilani Kazembe

Everyone has probably heard the saying a man's best friend is his dog. This saying goes back many years and the Greek myth of Hades the god of the dead and Cerberus his multi-headed groundhog can be one example. The relationship between Hades and Cerberus has been compared to the relationship between a master and their loyal servant ( Clark).

 Cerberus was seen as a vicious and terrifying creature born from Typhon and Echidna. His overall appearance resembled both of them fairly well. He had three heads with a serpent tail and snakes for a mane. Along with this he also had very sharp teeth and claws ( Clark) His main job was to guard the gates of the Underworld ensuring that the living did not enter. Along with this he also followed orders from the king of the underworld, Hades who was therefore also his master.  Although there are not many stories about the both of them together Cerberus appears in many tales, a lot of these tales happen to tell the story of how other Greek characters were able to outsmart the loyal and vicious dog. Hades was one of the sons of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. He is well-known for his abduction of the Greek Goddess Persephone while she was gathering flowers Hades emerged from the Earth and took her away ( Morford et al.).

Hades was also known for his wealth of the Earth which included things such as the fertile soil to the precious metals the earth had to offer ( N.S Gill).

        This statue displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Crete in Greece shows the Greek characters Hades and Cerberus next to one another. I find that this statue depicts them well. Cerberus is right at the side of his master and a little bit in front of him. This could possibly resemble his role as a guardian. His three heads are also seen looking in three different directions making it look like he is on the lookout for any trespassers or threatening dangers. As mentioned above Cerberus was depicted as this vicious monster, however in this piece of work, he is not. Almost as if to show that in his relationship with Hades, he was never seen in that light. Which is different from some of the other pieces of art that show Cerberus. In one piece which is a vase that shows Hades and his queen Persephone sitting in the center, down below them Cerberus looks like he is attacking a man.

        To me, this piece does a fine job of depicting both characters as how they were seen by one another. To the rest of the world, Cerberus was a monster, yes he did have three heads and a serpent tail, which are things people would associate as monstrous. However, in this statue, the biggest thing you can see are his three heads and none of them have his sharp teeth showing or a facial expression that shows aggression. He remains calm and stands brave and tall at the side of his master. Just as how any dog would pose next to their owner today. I also think the statue does a good job of showing the dominance that Hades has. His head is held high with his spear in one hand. He holds a stance that shows confidence like a king.  

Peter Paul Rubens, Eternal Enthrallment: Hades Snatching Persophone. The National Gallery, London

Nithya Subramanian

The story of Hades and Phersophone has been told in many perspectives and narratives. It is told to show the birth of the seasons, the fertility of the Earth and the importance of Godess Persophone. But this painting by Peter Raul Rubens has perfectly described the darkness that takes place in this story. He has beautifully shown the heartbreak of a mother, demator, the playfulness of cupid, the cunningness of hades and the the light that Persophone encompesses. Rubens uses his piece to show the horrifying fate Persophone must face yet he doesn’t take away from what it really is, no autonomy for women.

This story begins with Persephone, who is the daughter of Zeus and Demator, living on Earth. Meanwhile, in the underworld Hades is enmared by her beauty. He decides that he wants to bring her to the underworld. One day she is picking flowers Hades kidnapps her but with Zeus’s consent either preemptivley or retroactivley (Scott). Hearing this Demator is heartbroken. Persephone, unkowinglly, eats 6 pomegranate seeds which condem her to the underworld. Hades then strikes a deal where Persophone where she must stay with him for half of the year and the other half she is allowed to go back to Earth. The seasons are then born as Demator rejoices when Persophone is with her which brings spring and summer. And when Persophone is forced to return to the underworld Demators sadness brings fall and winter.

This story shows the forcefullness of Hades as he doesn’t give Persophone a choice. The lack of control Persophone is given over her own life shows the power dynamics in play. Rubens painting attests to all of this as you can see lighter colors used for Persohpone, as if she is pure or innocent. Then there are the darker more toned colors surrounding her. It’s like she was in this bubble of pure light, she was undisturbed, unbothered and happy before she was snatched. You can see her hands apart as she seems to cry and scream out of desperation (McDaniel). The lack of female autonomy is also shown with the way that the Rubens has painted a lady in the left most side of the painting. The only other women is shown farthest from Persephone, not even able to stand up for her, let alone grasp her while the other man (not hades) is able to hold hades shoulder, yet his expression is anything but concern. Maybe this is Ruben showing us that the only voice that matterted was a mans. This is clearly shown in the story as Hades goes to Zeus who then makes the decision without consulting his own daughter.

Now if we take a closer look at the way the artist has depicted Hades in this painting you can see his color scheme, compared to persphones, is much darker. His stance is overpowering as he is shown to carry Persophone in a bridal position which leaves her with no chance of escaping. Although he is portrayed as cunning his expression shows entitlement. It’s almost as if him taking Persophone against her will is his right. Persephone is forced into a marriage that she clearly doesn’t desire yet she is suppressed so much so that she, nor any women, had the power to stand up for themselves.

I think that the painting uses the different color palettes, expression and character placement to show the way women were given no power over their own life. Although this story doesn’t show any autonomy for women it does show the raw and real truth behind what is happening on a more unnoticed scale, behind closed doors and then ultimately brushed under the rug. The painting shows the story in a very easy to understand way but hold many small nuances that portray the fate of a goddess.

Works Cited:

Clark. “Cerberus and Hades: A Story of a Loyal Servant and His Master.” Ancient Literature, 13 Sept. 2022,ancient-literature.com/cerberus-and-hades/#:~:text=Cerberus%20and%20Hades.

Morford , Mark , et al. Classical Mythology. 12th ed., Oxford University Press, 1 Feb. 2023.

N.S Gill. “All about Hades, Greek God of the Underworld.” ThoughtCo, 2018, www.thoughtco.com/myths-featuring-the-greek-god-hades-118892.

Scott, Aimee Hinds. “Rape or Romance?” Medium, 7 Jan. 2020,   eidolon.pub/rape-or-romance-1b3d584585b8.

Cartwright, Mark. "Persephone." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 24 Mar 2016. Web. 31 Jul 2023.

McDaniel, Spencer. “Did Hades Abduct Persephone or Did She Go with Him Willingly?” Tales of Times Forgotten, 22 June 2022, talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/02/29/did-hades-abduct-persephone-or-did-she-go-with-him-willingly/.