![]() Hermes’ association with boundaries was also very broad: he was the god not only of travelers but also of merchants, thieves, and even the passage from life to death (it was Hermes who led the souls of those who died to the Underworld). In these capacities, Hermes presided over many areas of human life.Īs the messenger of the gods, Hermes broadly represented communication and was invoked as the patron and protector of heralds and diplomats. Attributes DomainsĪs a god, Hermes was primarily associated with four domains: (1) messengers and heralds (2) boundaries, travel, and commerce (3) shepherds and (4) the mysteries. Among these were hodios (“he of the road”), oneiropompos (“conductor of dreams”), poimandrēs (“shepherd of men”), agoraios (“he of the market”), and psychopompos (“conductor of souls”). These included dolios (“tricky”), angelos and diactoros (“messenger”), eriounios (either “swift” or “beneficial”-the meaning is uncertain), and chrysorrhapis (“he of the golden wand”).įinally, Hermes boasted numerous religious and cult epithets that described his many functions as a god. Other epithets described important attributes of Hermes. Other important epithets related to Hermes’ mythology included Atlantiadēs, meaning “descendant of Atlas” (Hermes’ mother, Maia, was the daughter of the Titan Atlas), and Cyllēnios, meaning “Cyllenian” or “of Mount Cyllene” (Mount Cyllene was an important cult center of Hermes, sometimes said to have been his birthplace). Hermes’ most common literary epithet was Argeiphontēs, meaning “killer of Argus.” This related to the famous myth in which Hermes outsmarted and killed the hundred-eyed guardsman Argus (see below). Hermes’ Roman counterpart was called Mercury. But it is not clear where the word herma comes from or how exactly it is linguistically related to the name “Hermes.” Scholars today generally agree that Hermes’ name is pre-Greek in origin. Indeed, many of these “herms” were dedicated to Hermes. Hermes’ name may have been related to the ancient Greek herma, a cairn or heap of stones used to indicate the boundaries of something. It was first written as e-ma-ha in the syllabic Linear B script used before the invention of the Greek alphabet. The name “Hermes” seems to have originated in the Mycenaean period, the earliest period of Greek history (ca. Mercury, Argus and Io by Abraham Bloemaert (ca. When the last of Argus’ many eyes had finally shut, he killed the monster and set Io free. ![]() ![]() In the familiar version of the myth, Hermes cleverly lulled Argus to sleep with soothing music. Zeus’ jealous wife Hera had placed Io under the custody of the ever-watchful Argus to prevent Zeus from sleeping with the girl. In one well-known myth, Zeus sent Hermes to free his lover Io from the clutches of Argus Panoptes-a monster whose defining quality was his many unsleeping eyes. Souls on the Banks of the Acheron by Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl (1898) Belvedere (Austria) Public Domain Hermes Slays Argus Panoptes Eventually Hermes ascended to Olympus, where he became the messenger of the gods. Hermes’ mischievousness was evident from the start in one myth, while he was still an infant, he managed to steal the cattle of his elder half-brother Apollo. In most accounts, Maia bore and raised Hermes on Mount Cyllene, in the region of Arcadia. Hermes was the son of Zeus, the supreme god of the Greek pantheon, and Maia, a daughter of Atlas. Gazette archéologique (1875) Public Domain Who were Hermes’ parents? ![]() 480–470 BCE) showing Zeus (center) sending out Iris (right) and Hermes (left), now in the Louvre Museum. He sometimes carried additional attributes, such as his special snake-entwined staff-the caduceus.Īttic red-figure stamnos attributed to the Berlin Painter (ca. Hermes was usually represented as a beardless youth wearing a cap and winged sandals. In myth, he was usually presented as a mischievous but benign figure-an intermediary between mortals and the gods who ruled them. It was Hermes who conveyed the souls of the dead to the Underworld.Īs herald and messenger of the gods, Hermes delivered the news, advice, and commands that maintained order and sustained the gods’ fragile relationships. He was also connected with travelers, thieves, shepherds, and mystery cults. Hermes was one of the Twelve Olympians and the god who watched over messengers and heralds. ![]()
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