Hermes, also known as Mercury or Mercurius, is the messenger of the Greek gods.
Overview[]
He is the son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia, and the second youngest of the Olympian gods with Dionysus being the youngest. Hermes is the author of skilled or deceptive acts and also as a benefactor of mortals. In the Iliad, he is called "the bringer of good luck", "guide and guardian", and "excellent in all the tricks".
Description[]
Hermes is considered a god of transitions and boundaries. He is described as quick and cunning, moving freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine. He is also portrayed as an emissary and messenger of the gods; an intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. He has been viewed as the protector and patron of herdsmen, thieves, oratory and wit, literature and poetry, athletics and sports, invention and trade, roads, boundaries and travelers.
At times he is also regarded as a trickster and outwits other gods for his own satisfaction or for the sake of humankind. His attributes and symbols include the herma, the rooster, the tortoise, satchel or pouch, winged sandals, and winged cap. His main symbol is the Greek kerykeion or Latin caduceus, which appears in a form of two snakes wrapped around a winged staff.
History[]
Origins[]
Hermes was born from the union of the pleiad Maia and Zeus, the king of the Olympians, in the mountain within Arcadia. Hermes was said to have been mischievous and cunning and demonstrated this literally hours after his birth. His first course of action was to find and kill a tortoise then turn its shell into a lyre.
Hermes soon found himself craving for food, and he ventures off to steal fifty of Apollo's sacred cattle, though he makes sure to reverse their hooves to make it appear as though they are walking backwards. Hermes takes the cattle and sets a fire so he can not only feed himself but also sacrifice the meat to the gods to gain their attention. His mother questions him on his actions to which Hermes, still as an infant, explains that he wishes to be honored and respected by the gods instead of living in a cave.
Divine Messenger[]
Apollo, however, soon discovers that his sacred cattle was missing and after a long search he tracks the culprit to the cave where he finds Hermes himself. Apollo demands that Hermes return his cattle but Hermes, being the conniving trickster that he is, insists that he is a mere infant and knows nothing about his dilemma with the cattle.
Apollo then brings the infant Hermes to Zeus to face the consequences for his actions but Zeus finds the situation rather hilarious than serious. In the end, Zeus tells Hermes to guide Apollo to the cows and on the way Hermes was able to win Apollo over by playing his lyre for him. Apollo was quite impressed and enchanted with Hermes' skill on the lyre that he secures him a seat among the Olympians, appointing him as messenger of the gods, and will be honored alongside his mother. Apollo also gives him the caduceus in exchange to never rob him again.