Orthrus

Orthrus

Region of origin: Greece

A two-headed hound belonging to the demigod Eurytion, both Orthrus and his master were charged with guarding the herd of red cattle owned by the giant Geryon. As part of his tenth labor, Heracles was required to fetch Geryon’s herd for King Eurystheus, and upon arriving on the island of Erytheia where they were kept, clashed with Orthrus and Eurytion, killing them both. Orthrus was one of the monstrous children of Echidna and Typhon, which included his more famous polycephalic canine brother Cerberus, and would himself help carry on the lineage of Greek monsters as the father of the sphinx and the Nemean lion.

Originally posted on Tumblr on October 4, 2016