Cerberus, the Dog of Hades: The History of an Idea

THE DOG OF HADES

The city, having found asphalt pavement too slippery for that climate and Nicholson wood pavement prone to catching fire, decided instead to use Belgian blocks A type of durable, rectangular paving stone often used in the 19th century. To cover these new expenses, a dog tax was imposed. Since Cerberus belongs to the state of Hades as a whole, the government must pay his tax and is willing enough to do so—treating Cerberus as a single dog.

The city, however, tries to collect taxes for three dogs—one license for each head. Two hellish police officers original: "infernal coppers" sent to impound Cerberus do not fare well; one is badly chewed up by the beast, and the other is seized entirely and thrown into the River Styx. As a result, the officers successfully sue the city for damages.

The city then decides to bring a lawsuit against the state. The judicial bench consists of Apollyon A demon often called "The Destroyer" himself and Judge Blackstone Sir William Blackstone (1723–1780), a famous English jurist. Coke Sir Edward Coke (1552–1634), a legendary English judge appears as the lawyer for the city, while Catiline A Roman politician famous for his conspiracies represents the state. The first dog-catcher is called to testify and is asked whether he is familiar with dogs. He answers yes, adding that he had never become quite as close with any dog as he did with this one.

"With whom?" asks Coke.