A complete description of the Greek god Hermes.

Hermes

English/Greek Mythology

Hermes the messenger of gods; this is the title given to one of the most fascinating gods in Greek mythology. Hermes (also called Mercury) is a god that is a big symbol for many things today. This Greek god is one out of a variety of the characters in stories that have changed the way we look at Greek Myth.

One night in Olympia, Zeus, the greatest god of all, went out and impregnated Maia, the daughter of Atlas. The Next morning she bore Hermes, who was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. It is said that Hermes got away from his mother Maia, and stole some cattle from Apollo, who was his brother. Apollo got very mad when he found that it was Hermes who had stolen the cattle, but Hermes had made a very nice lyre and gave the instrument to Apollo. This cleared everything up and they became friends.

One characteristic that makes Hermes one of the most interesting gods is his appearance. Hermes is the winged god. He was adorned with wings on his sandals, his hat and his staff. At first his staff had two white ribbons on it, but then those ribbons became serpents. One story says that these ribbons became serpents when he was trying to stop two snakes from fighting. These serpents then became intertwined on the staff as a symbol of peace. There were other assets that Hermes had, like the cap of invisibility. Hermes' appearance was usually that of a traveler or that of a worker or shepherd. Sometimes Hermes is believed to have had a beard as well.

Originally, Hermes was the god of good fortune and a supporter of roads and boundaries. Then he became the messenger of the gods (mainly Zeus). This is because of his swiftness. He was the fastest of all gods. Being the messenger it was also his job to lead the souls of the dead down to the underworld. He was also a god that brought dreams to mortals.

Hermes has appeared in more mythological stories than any of the other gods. Firstly, he helped Jason start his quest in the story of the Golden Fleece. Second, when Hera, Zeus's wife, got angry when she heard that he loved a god named Io. Hera sent Argus to guard Io, but Hermes came and killed him after Zeus ordered him to. We also can find Hermes in other famous stories, such as the account where he persuaded Calypso to let Odysseus go, or when he saved Odysseus and his men from being turned into pigs by Circe.

Hermes was a very athletic god and because of this there are statues dedicated to him in gymnasiums all over Greece. Hermes is also depicted a great deal in art and in pottery.

Hermes performed many great things in Greek Literature that people like Homer and Apollonius wrote about. He may have tricked some people or cheated in some instances, but he is still a very interesting character. I look at Hermes as one of the "good gods" and as a god that wanted peace. Hermes was all of this because people loved him and wanted to write good things about him.