Hermes he is the Greek god of wealth, luck, fertility, sleep, magic, travel, roads, commerce, language and thieves.
Messenger of the gods and much revered by the Greeks, Hermes is considered one of the most irreverent gods in Greek mythology.
The name Hermes means "border marker" and one of his functions was to guide the dead to the underworld, the realm of Hades. As guardian of the underworld entrance, Hermes is also called the god of travelers and protector of the roads.
Patron of gymnastics, he was the god of sports competitions and his name is linked to the Olympics. To him is attributed the invention of fire and also the creation of running and boxing. He is also appointed as the god of astronomy and astrology, as he is the patron of astronomers.
In Roman mythology, Hermes is named Mercury.
Representation of Hermes
Hermes is portrayed as a naked young man, handsome, with an athletic body and with magical winged sandals that gave him greater agility and speed.
Hermes' symbol was a staff with snakes and wings called a caduceus. The animals considered sacred by Hermes are the ram and the hare and its plants are the saffron and the strawberry.
History
Son of Zeus and of the nymph Maia, Hermes was the father of the god Pan. Regarded as a playful god, he would have stolen as a baby, the half-brother Apollo. Legend has it that on the first day of his life he invented fire and created the lyre, a musical instrument.
Hermes is considered a cunning and tricky god, who would use this trait to do good and evil. He used his diplomatic and translator skills to make a counterpoint between gods and men.
Among his most talked about achievements is Medusa's defeat by Perseus, who received help from Hermes.
The god would have lent his flying sandals to Perseus, who managed to defeat the snake-haired woman avoiding the curse that would turn him to stone if she looked at her.
read more:
- What is a myth?
- Greek gods
- Gods of Olympus
- Greek mythology
- Roman Mythology
