χθόνιαι θεαί: schol. “Ἐρινύες”. Hardly Demeter and Persephone (683), who would not be thus associated with the fell Cerberus. σῶμά τ̓: the periphrasis suggests a more vivid image of the dread monster: cp. Tr. 508 “φάσμα ταύρου”: Verg. Aen. 6. 289 “et forma tricorporis umbrae” (Geryon). Eur. Phoen. 1508 “Σφιγγὸς ἀοιδοῦ σῶμα”: Her. Fur. 24 “τρισώματον κύνα.” ἀνικάτου is sound, since the long penult. (=“θε” of “θεόν” 1556) is an “"irrational"” syllable. Meineke's ἀμαιμάκου is an unexampled form of “ἀμαιμάκετος”. Cp.
. Homer mentions “"the dog of Hades"” only in reference to Eurystheus sending Heracles “ἐξ Ἐρέβευς ἄξοντα κύνα στυγεροῦ Ἀΐδαο” (Il. 8.368, Od. 11.625). The name Cerberus occurs first in Hes. Th. 311, where he is the offspring of Typhaon and Echidna, and has fifty heads: Horace makes him “centiceps,” Carm. 2. 13. 34. “Κερβέριοι” was used (at least in comedy) as=“Κιμμέριοι”, but the connection with “ἔρεβος” is doubtful.“τόν θ᾽ ὑπὸ χθονὸς
Ἅιδου τρίκρανον σκύλακ᾽, ἀπρόσμαχον τέρας
”
