Cerberus (Cancerbero, Cerbero) is the three-headed guardian of the edge of the Styx marsh in the Third Circle of Hell.
| Type | Creature (infernal guardian) |
| Location | Third Circle (Gluttony), edge of the Styx |
| Authority | Plutus |
| Spanish entry | Cancerbero |
Description
Three raised heads, six jaws open at once, six eyes yellow as burning sulfur. His forefeet sink into the Styx mud, which on receiving them stops being mud and becomes mud again.
Role
A guardian by ancient appointment, he watches the edge of the marsh, not the Circle’s entrance, where the souls of the gluttonous periodically attempt their last crossing: to reach the opposite shore and there, if the Furies are careless, regain a body. None has crossed. His barking alone turns the Styx mire into an instrument of punishment; souls that venture too far are dragged back into the marsh by the weight of the three voices. Ciacco is among the souls in his charge.
In the Descent
During the Descent, the three heads showed themselves once, as recorded by Arkos: they barked together at an unnamed traveler and paralyzed a soul that had already reached the far shore up to its knees. The soul returned to the marsh without being pushed — an instance kept in the infernal manuals as “effectiveness without contact”.