Hermes
Hermes was a messenger or translator from the gods to the humans. The role was shared with Iris. Someone who interprets between strangers, is known as a Hermeneus. Hermes delivered messages from Olympus to the mortal world. He wore a hat with wings on it and uses the hat to fly between the mortal and the immortal world. Hermes was an inventor of fire and it was believed that he also invented many types of racing and wrestling, so he was also known as a patron of athletes.
According to folklore, Hermes was a trickster and also served as a psychopomp. A psychopomp was an escort who helped the dead to find their way to the afterlife (which was the Underworld in the Greek Myths). According to the Greek myths, Hermes, Hades, and Persephone were the only ones who could enter and exit the Underworld without any interruption. Hermes also helped travelers have a safe and easy journey. Many Greeks made sacrifices to Hermes before they began a trip.
Hermes was the son of Zeus and the Pleiade, Maia, who was a daughter of Titan Atlas. Hermes symbols were the rooster and the tortoise. He could be recognized by his pouch, sandals with wings, a winged cap, and the herald’s staff. Hermes was also considered to be the god of thieves because he was a thief himself and was very cunning and shrewd. From the night he was born he slipped away from his mother, Maia, and his brother Apollo’s cattle. Hermes was also compared to the Roman god Mercury, who had many similar traits as Hermes did.
Hermes Many pillars throughout Athens represented Hermes and were used to ward off evil and also as road or boundary markers all around Greece so therefore Hermes acquired patronage over land travel. He was also a messenger for Zeus because he was the fastest god and also was loyal to his father. Hermes killed the many eyed giant known as Argus Panoptes. Argus was watching over the heifer nymph Io, in Hera’s sanctuary, in Argus. He put Argus to sleep then killed him. He took the giants eyes and put them in the tail of the peacock, which was the symbol of the goddess Hera.
Hermes was also described as the god of persuasion. Originally, Hermes was thought as a bearded old man but was later depicted as a youth. The statues of the new Hermes image was displayed at stadiums and gymnasiums all over Greece. Other statues still displayed him as an old bearded man. In Athens there were herms placed outside homes for good luck. Hermes children were, Pan, Hermaphroditus, Priapus, Eros, Tyche, Abderus, and Autolycus.
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