Hermes
Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia, daughter of Atlas, born in a cave on mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Hermes appears more often in the myths than any other god or goddess. He is the fastest of the gods, and his position was as Zeus� messenger. He was also the shrewdest and most cunning of all the gods, he was the Master Thief, who started his carrier before his was one day old, by stealing Apollo�s herds. Zeus made him give them back, and Hermes won Apollo�s forgiveness by given him the lyre which he made out of a tortoise shell.
To the people Hermes was the God of Commerce and the Market, patron of traders, merchants and thieves. In odd contrast he was also the Divine Herald, the solemn guide of the dead who leads their souls down to the underworld, after Thanatos did his job.
Because of a famous statue, Hermes� appearance is well known and he is easily recognized in art. He always wore his winged sandals and his winged cap(petassos); Caduceus, a magic wand given to him by Apollo was always with him as well. He invented quite a few things, some of which are: the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics and the care of olive trees.
He was the cleverest of the Olympian gods, and messenger to all the other gods. He ruled over wealth, good fortune, commerce, fertility, and thievery. He brought the souls of the dead to the underworld, and was honored as a god of sleep.
Hermes was not only the Messenger of the gods, he was also the god of wealth and good fortune, and the patron of travelers and theives. When he was not running errands for Zeus, he would also conduct the souls of the dead to Hades.
When Hermes was just a few hours old, he escapde from his cradel. He invented a lyre by stretching reeds across a tortishell. He then came to a field where many cattle grazed. He was warned by crows that they belonged to his half-brother, Apollo, but he stole them anyways. When Apollo caught him, Hermes traded his lyre for the cattle. He knew that Apollo loved music.
Not only was Hermes a clever god, he was also a talented theif. Among the many things he stole were the bow and quiver of Apollo, the girdle of Aphrodite, The trident of Poseidon and the sword of Ares.
Because he was so beautiful and picturesque Hermes was a favorite of painters and sculptors. he did not, however have a special temple or city.
The Romans called him Mercury. They usually emphasized his duties as a messenger, and ignored his double nature. To them, commerce and industry were too important to have a god who was also a thief.
� 1998
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