Historiae Romanorum
Hermes
Hermes
is the son of Zeus and Maia, a daughter of
Atlas. Along with Iris, he
is a messenger of the gods. He is a god of merchants, thieves, shepherds
and travelers, among other things. He is usually described in later myths
as wearing winged sandals, a winged helmet and his Caduceus.
A masterful thief, Hermes stole the sacred cattle of Apollo before he was even a day old. He created the first lyre from a tortoise shell as well. Apollo protested and Zeus, who had been watching the whole thing, ordered Hermes to return the cattle. At this point, Hermes took out his lyre and began to play. After hearing the beautiful music, Apollo offered to exchange the lyre for the herd of cattle, and Hermes agreed.
There is a graver side to Hermes as well. It was his task to guide the dead to the underworld, as well as to deliver dreams to sleeping.
During the Trojan War,
a disguised Hermes led Priam
to
Achilles' tent in order to
retrieve Hector's body.
In the Odyssey, Hermes warns
Odysseus about
Circe, and gave him a
plant, which would counteract the witch's spells. He was also sent by
Zeus to order
Calypso to allow
Odysseus to leave her
island.
The Romans identified Hermes with Mercury, a god of the corn trade.
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