Download Name: Date: Period: The Greek messenger god and patron of

HERMES (Roman = Mercury)
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The Greek messenger god and patron of travelers, merchants, thieves, herders,
commerce, tricksters and athletics. This multitalented deity also supposedly invented
the alphabet, astronomy, and mathematics; brought good fortune; and also helped
Thantos to lead the souls of the dead to the Underworld (in which capacity he was
known as Psychopompos, ―the Guide of Souls‖). His symbol was a herald's staff
(kerykeion in Greek; caduceus in Latin), and in art he was often pictured wearing
winged sandals and a wide-brimmed winged hat. In early times, Hermes, whom the
Romans called Mercury, was also a fertility god, which led to the frequent use of
statues of him, called Herms. A typical Herm consisted of a short pillar or other
pedestal topped by a bust of the god. People set them up along roads to bring
travelers good luck and also near the doorways of houses since tradition said that a
Herm kept evil from entering.
Also according to tradition, Hermes was born in Arcadia (in the central Peloponnesus),
the son of the union of Zeus and the nymph Maia, daughter of the Titan Atlas. The
affair transpired while Zeus's wife, Hera, was asleep. And because of Hera's reputation
for bringing grief to her husband's lovers and their offspring, the young Hermes
decided to get on the goddess's good side as quickly as possible. While still an infant
(but a highly precocious one who could walk, reason, and so forth), Hermes, disguised
as Hera's son Ares, crawled into her lap and she breastfed him; that made her Hermes'
foster mother, which required that she treat him as her own child.
Hermes' extraordinary abilities as a child were also evident in his relationship with
another versatile god—Apollo. The younger deity stole fifty cows from Apollo and
sacrificed them to the Olympian gods, then hurried back to his crib and pretended he
knew nothing about the theft. Zeus and Apollo were sure the child was guilty, and Zeus
ordered Hermes to return the cattle. But then Apollo and Hermes made a deal. In
exchange for the lyre (harp) that Hermes had just invented, Apollo agreed to forget
about the cattle; thereafter, the two gods became fast friends.
He was known to have many affairs, including a long lasting one with Aphrodite (but
not as long lasting as her affair with Ares). She bore several of his children. He also
had an affair with the nymph Dryope who bore him Pan (the satyr – ½ man/ ½ goat).
The child scared the mother and she ran away. Hermes would raise the child and Pan
would take on the trickster traits of his father. Pan would become known as a great
troublemaker who loved to create havoc in the Ancient world. He would eventually
challenge the god Apollo who would flay him for his impertinence.
In the years that followed, Hermes took part in many exploits, often fulfilling various
tasks for Zeus or other gods – thus, he also became the great messenger of the gods.
At Zeus's request, for instance, he helped save the young god Dionysus from death at
the hands of Hera (who was angry that Zeus had conceived Dionysus with another
woman). Hermes also helped Zeus protect Io, another woman Zeus had seduced,
from Hera's wrath by killing Argus, a creature with many eyes, which Hera had sent to
keep watch on Io. In another incident, Zeus sent Hermes to negotiate with Hades (god
of the Underworld) for the release of Persephone (Demeter's daughter), whom Hades
had abducted. In addition, Hermes accompanied Zeus in many of his travels on Earth;
the two gods, disguised as mortals, paid a fateful visit to the poor peasants Baucis and
Philemon, the only humans who had the decency to show the strangers hospitality.
During the famous Trojan War, Hermes helped arrange for the warrior Achilles' return of
the corpse of his slain enemy, Hector, to Hector's father, King Priam; and after the war,
the messenger god helped the far-wandering Greek hero Odysseus escape the
clutches of the sorceress Circe and the nymph Calypso.