HERMES

 

Ἑρμῆς – Hermes is the son of Zeus and his mother is a nymph named Maia. He is also Mercury by the Romans and is concidered the god of boundaries and the travelers. But he is also the god of shepherds, cowherds, orators, literature and poets, athletics, weights and measures, liars and thieves, and he invented commerce. He is a translator and the messenger between the gods and humans. He is often called the Hermaion which means interpreter who bridges the boundaries between strangers. He was born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia and on the day of his birth, by noon he invented the lyre using the shell of a tortoise. The evening of his birth he rustled the immortal cattle of Apollo which wasn’t easy. He also is known for slaying the many-eyed giant Argus by putting him to sleep casting a spell on him that permanently closed his eyes. Argus’s eyes were then put on the peacock. Things associated with Hermes include phallic pillars on street corners, crossroads, gateways, winged sandals, and the caduceus which is the winged staff entwined with serpents. His domains are luck, travel, and trickery. He’s worshiped most by traders, thieves, and travelers. His influence is strong in Arcadia. He has no temples but does have many statues and images in various places throughout Greece and Italy.

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