Hermes 14410 225968238 2008-07-16T06:52:04Z 24.14.28.110 {{Otheruses}} [[Image:Hermes-louvre3.jpg|thumb|300px|''[[Hermes Fastening his Sandal]]'', Roman marble copy of a [[Lysippus|Lysippan]] bronze ([[Louvre Museum]])]] '''Hermes''' ([[Ancient Greek|Greek]], {{polytonic|Ἑρμῆς}}, {{IPAEng|ˈhɝmiːz}}), in [[Greek mythology]], is the [[Twelve Olympians|Olympian god]] of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of [[shepherd]]s and [[cowherd]]s, of thieves and road travelers, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of general commerce, and of the cunning of thieves and liars.<ref>W. Burkert, ''Greek Religion'' 1985 section III.2.8; [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hermes.html "Hermes."] ''Encyclopedia Mythica'' from Encyclopedia Mythica Online. Retrieved October 04, 2006.</ref> His symbols include the tortoise, the rooster, the winged sandals, and the [[caduceus]]. The analogous Roman deity is [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]]. The [[Homeric hymn]] to Hermes invokes him as the one "of many shifts (''polytropos''), blandly cunning, a robber, a cattle driver, a bringer of dreams, a watcher by night, a thief at the gates, one who was soon to show forth wonderful deeds among the deathless gods."<ref>''Hymn to Hermes'' 13. The word ''polutropos'' ("of many shifts, turning many ways, of many devices, ingenious, or much wandering") is also used to describe Odysseus in the first line of the ''Odyssey''.</ref> ==Roles== [[Image:Hermes-Lawrie-Highsmith.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Lee Lawrie]], ''Hermes'' (1939). Library of Congress [[John Adams Building]], Washington, D.C.]] He protects and takes care of all the travelers and thieves that pray to him or cross his path. He is the messenger of the gods and does his job very well. He is athletic and is always looking out for runners, or any athletes with injuries who need his help. Hermes is a messenger from the gods to humans, sharing this role with [[Iris (mythology)|Iris]]. An interpreter who bridges the boundaries with strangers is a ''hermeneus.'' Hermes gives us our word "[[hermeneutics]]" for the art of interpreting hidden meaning. In Greek a lucky find was a ''hermaion''. Hermes delivered messages from Olympus to the mortal world. He wears shoes with wings on them and uses them to fly freely between the mortal and immortal world. Hermes, younger than Apollo, was the youngest of the [[Olympian gods]]. Hermes, as an inventor of fire,<ref>In the [[Homeric hymn]], "after he had fed the loud-bellowing cattle... he gathered much wood and sought the craft of fire. He took a splendid laurel branch, gripped it in his palm, and twirled it in pomegranate wood" (lines 105, 108-10)</ref> is a parallel of the [[Titan (mythology)|Titan]], [[Prometheus]]. In addition to the [[syrinx]] and the [[lyre]], Hermes was believed to have invented many types of racing and the sport of [[wrestling]], and therefore was a patron of athletes.<ref>"First Inventors ... Mercurius [Hermes] first taught wrestling to mortals." - Hyginus (c.1st CE), Fabulae 277.</ref> According to prominent [[folklorist]] [[Meletinskii]], Hermes is a [[Deifying|deified]] [[trickster]].<ref name="Meletinskii93p131">[[Meletinskii]] 1993, ''Introduzione'', p. 131</ref> Hermes also served as a [[psychopomp]], or an escort for the dead to help them find their way to the [[afterlife]] (the [[Underworld]] in the Greek myths). In many Greek myths, Hermes was depicted as the only god besides [[Hades]], [[Persephone]], and [[Hekate]] who could enter and leave the Underworld without hindrance. Along with escorting the dead, Hermes often helped travelers have a safe and easy journey. Many Greeks would sacrifice to Hermes before any trip. In the fully-developed Olympian pantheon, Hermes was the son of [[Zeus]] and the [[Pleiades (mythology)|Pleiade]] [[Maia (mythology)|Maia]], a daughter of the Titan [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]]. Hermes' symbols were the [[rooster]] and the [[tortoise]], and he can be recognized by his purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, and the herald's staff, the ''[[kerykeion]]''. Hermes was the god of thieves because he was very cunning and shrewd and was a thief himself from the night he was born, when he slipped away from Maia and ran away to steal his elder brother [[Apollo]]'s cattle. In the Roman adaptation of the Greek religion (see ''[[interpretatio graeca|interpretatio romana]]''), Hermes was identified with the Roman god [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]], who, though inherited from the [[Etruscans]], developed many similar characteristics, such as being the patron of commerce. ==Etymology== The name ''Hermes'' has been thought, ever since [[Karl Otfried Müller]]'s demonstration,<ref>K.O. Müller, ''Handbuch der Archäologie'' 1848.</ref> to be derived from the Greek word ''[[herma]]'' (''{{polytonic|ἕρμα}}''), which denotes a square or rectangular pillar with the head of Hermes (usually with a beard) adorning the top of the pillar, and ithyphallic male genitals below; however, due to the god's attestation in the Mycenaean pantheon, as ''Hermes Araoia'' ("Ram Hermes") in [[Linear B]] inscriptions at [[Pylos]] and Mycenaean [[Knossos]] (Ventris and Chadwick), the connection is more likely to have moved the opposite way, ''from'' deity ''to'' pillar representations. From the subsequent association of these cairns &mdash; which were used in [[Athens]] to ward off evil and also as road and [[boundary marker]]s all over Greece &mdash; Hermes acquired patronage over land travel. Hermes was a messenger for Zeus. The reason for this was not only was he the fastest god but he was also loyal to his father, Zeus. ==Epithets of Hermes== ===Argeiphontes=== Hermes' [[epithet]] ''Argeiphontes'' (Latin ''Argicida''), or Argus-slayer, recalls his slaying of the many-eyed giant [[Argus Panoptes]], who was watching over the [[cattle|heifer]]-nymph [[Io (mythology)|Io]] in the sanctuary of Queen [[Hera]] herself in Argos. Putting Argus to sleep, Hermes used a spell to permanently close all of Argus's eyes and then slew the giant. Argus's eyes were then put into the tail of the peacock, symbol of the goddess Hera. ===Logios=== His epithet of ''Logios'' is the representation of the god in the act of speaking, as orator, or as the god of eloquence. Indeed, together with [[Athena]], he was the standard divine representation of eloquence in classical Greece. The [[Homer]]ic ''[[Homeric Hymns|Hymn to Hermes]]'' (probably 6th century BCE) describes Hermes making a successful speech from the cradle to defend himself from the (true) charge of cattle theft. Somewhat later, [[Proclus]]' commentary on [[Plato]]'s ''[[Republic (Plato)|Republic]]'' describes Hermes as the god of persuasion. Yet later, [[Neoplatonist]]s viewed Hermes Logios more mystically as origin of a "Hermaic chain" of light and radiance emanating from the divine intellect (''[[nous]]''). This epithet also produced [[Hermes Logios type|a sculptural type]]. ===Other=== Other epithets included: *''[[Agoraeus]]'', of the [[agora]]<ref name=lang>{{cite book |author=Mabel Lang |authorlink=Mabel Lang |title=Graffiti in the Athenian Agora |url=http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/publications/upload/Graffiti%20in%20the%20Athenian%20AgoraLR.pdf |format=[[Portable Document Format|PDF]] |accessdate=2007-04-14 |edition=rev. ed. |series=Excavations of the Athenian Agora |year=1988 |publisher=American School of Classical Studies at Athens |location=Princeton, NJ |isbn=87661-633-3 |pages=[http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/publications/upload/Graffiti%20in%20the%20Athenian%20AgoraLR.pdf#page=9 p. 7] }}</ref> *''Acacesius'', of [[Acacus]] *''Charidotes'', giver of charm *''Criophorus'', ram-bearer *''Cyllenius'', born on [[Mount Cyllene]] *''Diaktoros'', the messenger *''Dolios'', the schemer *''Enagonios'', lord of contests *''Enodios'', on the road *''Epimelius'', keeper of flocks *''Eriounios'', luck bringer *''Polygius'' *''Psychopompos'', conveyor of souls ==Cult== :''General article: [[Cult (religion)]]''. Though temples to Hermes existed throughout [[Greece]], a major center of his cult was at [[Pheneos]] in [[Arcadia]], where festivals in his honor were called ''[[Hermoea (festival)|Hermoea]]''. As a crosser of boundaries, ''Hermes Psychopompos''' ("conductor of the soul") was a [[psychopomp]], meaning he brought newly-dead souls to the [[Underworld]] and [[Hades]]. In the Homeric ''Hymn to Demeter'', Hermes conducted [[Persephone]] the Kore (young girl or virgin), safely back to [[Demeter]]. He also brought dreams to living mortals. Among the [[Greeks|Hellene]]s, as the related word ''[[herma]]'' ("a boundary stone, crossing point") would suggest, Hermes embodied the spirit of crossing-over: He was seen to be manifest in any kind of interchange, transfer, transgressions, transcendence, transition, transit or traversal, all of which involve some form of crossing in some sense. This explains his connection with transitions in one’s fortune -- with the interchanges of goods, words and information involved in trade, interpretation, oration, writing -- with the way in which the wind may transfer objects from one place to another, and with the transition to the afterlife. [[Image:Mercurybyhendrickgoltzius.jpeg|thumb|left|200px|''Mercury'' by [[Hendrick Goltzius]], 1611 (Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem)]] Many graffito dedications to Hermes have been found in the [[Ancient Agora of Athens|Athenian Agora]], in keeping with his epithet of ''[[#Others|Agoraios]]'' and his role as patron of commerce.<ref name=lang/> Originally, Hermes was depicted as an older, bearded, phallic god, but in the 6th century BCE, the traditional Hermes was reimagined as an athletic youth (''illustration, top right''). Statues of the new type of Hermes stood at stadiums and [[gymnasium (ancient Greece)|gymnasiums]] throughout Greece. ===Hermai/Herms=== {{main|Herma}} In very Ancient Greece, Hermes was a phallic god of boundaries. His name, in the form ''[[herma]],'' was applied to a wayside marker pile of stones; each traveller added a stone to the pile. In the 6th century BCE, [[Hipparchus (tyrant)|Hipparchos]], the son of [[Peisistratos (Athens)|Pisistratus]], replaced the [[cairn]]s that marked the midway point between each village ''[[deme]]'' at the central ''[[agora]]'' of Athens with a square or rectangular pillar of stone or bronze topped by a bust of Hermes with a [[beard]]. An erect [[phallus]] rose from the base. In the more primitive [[Mount Kyllini]] or [[Cyllenian herms]], the standing stone or wooden pillar was simply a carved phallus. In Athens, herms were placed outside houses for good luck. "That a monument of this kind could be transformed into an [[Twelve Olympians|Olympian]] god is astounding," [[Walter Burkert]] remarked (Burkert 1985). In [[415 BCE]], when the Athenian fleet was about to set sail for [[Syracuse, Italy|Syracuse]] during the [[Peloponnesian War]], all of the Athenian hermai were vandalized. The Athenians at the time believed it was the work of saboteurs, either from Syracuse or from the anti-war faction within Athens itself. [[Socrates]]' pupil [[Alcibiades]] was suspected to have been involved, and Socrates indirectly paid for the impiety with his life. From these origins, [[hermai]] moved into the repertory of Classical architecture. ===Hermes' iconography=== [[Image:Rude-mercury.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Hermes with ''petasus'', ''talaria'' and ''caduceus'': ''Mercury fastening his sandals'', by [[François Rude]], ([[Musée du Louvre]])]] Hermes was usually portrayed wearing a broad-brimmed traveler's hat or a winged cap (''[[petasus]]''), wearing winged sandals (''[[talaria]]''), and carrying his Near Eastern herald's staff -- either a ''[[caduceus]]'' entwined by [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpents]], or a ''kerykeion'' topped with a symbol similar to the [[astrological]] symbol of [[Taurus (astrology)|Taurus]] the bull. Hermes wore the garments of a traveler, worker, or shepherd. He was represented by purses or bags, roosters (''illustration, left''), and tortoises. When depicted as [[Hermes Logios (sculpture)|Hermes Logios]], he was the divine symbol of eloquence, generally shown speaking with one arm raised for emphasis. ==Birth== Hermes was born on or near [[Mount Kyllini|Mount Cyllene]] in [[Arcadia]] to [[Maia (mythology)|Maia]]. As the story is told in the [[Homeric Hymns|Homeric Hymn]], the ''Hymn to Hermes,'' [[Maia (mythology)|Maia]] was a [[nymph]], but Greeks generally applied the name to a midwife or a wise and gentle old woman; so the nymph appears to have been an ancient one, or more probably a goddess. At any rate, she was one of the [[Pleiades (mythology)|Pleiades]], daughters of Atlas, taking refuge in a cave of Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. The infant Hermes was precocious. His first day he invented the [[lyre]]. By nightfall, he had rustled the immortal cattle of Apollo. For the first sacrifice, the taboos surrounding the sacred [[wiktionary:kine|kine]] of Apollo had to be transgressed, and the trickster god of boundaries was the one to do it. Hermes drove the cattle back to Greece and hid them, and covered their tracks. When Apollo accused Hermes, Maia said that it could not be him because he was with her the whole night. However, Zeus entered the argument and said that Hermes did steal the cattle and they should be returned. While arguing with Apollo, Hermes began to play his [[lyre]]. The instrument enchanted Apollo and he agreed to let Hermes keep the cattle in exchange for the lyre. ==Hermes' offspring== ===Pan=== The [[satyr]]-like Greek god of nature, shepherds and flocks, [[Pan (mythology)|Pan]] was often said to be the son of Hermes through the nymph [[Dryope]]. In the [[Homeric Hymn]] to Pan, Pan's mother ran away from the newborn god in sight over his goat-like appearance. ===Hermaphroditus=== [[Hermaphroditus]] was an immortal son of Hermes through [[Aphrodite]]. He was changed into an [[intersex]] person when the gods literally granted the nymph [[Salmacis]]'s wish that they never separate. ===Priapus=== The god [[Priapus]] was a son of Hermes and Aphrodite. In Priapus, Hermes' phallic origins survived. According to other sources, Priapus was a son of Dionysus and Aphrodite ===Eros=== According to some sources, the mischievous winged god of love [[Eros]], son of Aphrodite, was sired by Hermes, though the gods [[Ares]] and [[Hephaestus]] were also among those said to be the sire, whereas in the [[Theogeny]], [[Hesiod]] claims that Eros was born of nothing before the Gods. Eros' Roman name was [[Cupid]]. ===Tyche=== The goddess of [[luck]], Tyche ([[Greek language|Greek]] ''{{polytonic|Τύχη}}''), or [[Fortuna (mythology)|Fortuna]], was sometimes said to be the daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite. ===Abderus=== [[Abderus]] was a son of Hermes who was devoured by the [[Mares of Diomedes]]. He had gone to the Mares with his friend [[Heracles]]. ===Autolycus=== [[Autolycus]], the Prince of Thieves, was a son of Hermes and grandfather of [[Odysseus]]. ===List of Hermes' consorts and children=== <div style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> #[[Aglaurus]] Athenian priestess ##[[Eumolpus]] warlord #[[Antianeira]] Malian princess ##[[Echion (Argonaut)|Echion]] Argonaut #[[Apemosyne]] Cretan princess #[[Aphrodite]] ##[[Eros (mythology)|Eros]] (in one tradition) ## ##[[Hermaphroditus]] ##[[Peitho]] ##[[Priapus]] (in some traditions) ##[[Rhodos]] ##[[Tyche]] #[[Carmentis]] Arcadian nymph ##[[Evander]] founder of Latium #[[Chione]] Phocian princess ##[[Autolycus]] thief #[[Dryope]] Arcadian nymph ##[[Pan (mythology)|Pan]] rustic god #Eupolomia Phthian princess ##[[Aethalides]] Argonaut herald #[[Herse]] Athenian priestess ##[[Cephalus]] hunter ##(Also [[Ceryx]]) #[[Krokus (mythology)|Crocus]] who died and became the crocus flower #[[Pandrosus]] Athenian priestess ##[[Ceryx]] Eleusinian herald #[[Peitho]] ("Persuasion" his wife according to [[Nonnos]]) #[[Penelope]] Arcadian nymph (or wife of Odysseus) ##[[Pan (mythology)|Pan]] (according to one tradition) #[[Persephone]] (according to one tradition) #[[Polymele]] (daughter of Phylas according to Iliad) ##[[Eudorus]] (myrmidon; soldier in Trojan War) #[[Sicily|Sicilian]] [[nymph]] ##[[Daphnis]] rustic poet #Theobula Eleian princess ##[[Myrtilus]] charioteer # Born of the urine of Hermes, Poseidon and Zeus ##[[Orion (mythology)|Orion]] giant hunter (in one tradition) #Unknown mothers ##[[Abderus]] squire of Heracles </div> ==Hermes in the myths== ===The ''Iliad''=== In [[Homer]]'s ''Iliad'', Hermes helps King [[Priam]] of [[Troy]] ([[Troy|Ilium]]) sneak into the [[Achaean]] (Greek) encampment to confront [[Achilles]] and convince him to return [[Hector]]'s body. The body of Sarpedon is carried away from the battlefield of Troy by the twin winged gods, Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death). The pair are depicted clothed in armour, and are overseen by Hermes Psykhopompos (Guide of the Dead). The scene appears in book 16 of Homer's Iliad: "[Apollon] gave him [the dead Sarpedon] into the charge of swift messengers to carry him, of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), who are twin brothers, and these two presently laid him down within the rich countryside of broad Lykia." - Homer, Iliad 16.681 ===''The Odyssey''=== In book 5, Hermes is sent to demand from [[Calypso (mythology)|Calypso]] Odysseus's release from the island of [[Aeaea]]; in book 10, he protects Odysseus from [[Circe]] by bestowing upon him a herb, [[moly]], which protects him from her soporific spell. [[Odysseus]], the main character of the ''Odyssey'', is of [[matrilineal]] descent from Hermes.<ref name="Meletinskii93p131"/> ===Perseus=== Hermes aided [[Perseus]] in killing the [[gorgon]] (Medusa) by giving Perseus his winged sandals and [[Zeus]]' [[sickle]]. He also gave Perseus Hades' helmet of invisibility and told him to use it so that Medusa's immortal sisters could not see him. [[Athena]] helped Perseus as well by lending him her polished shield. Hermes also guided Perseus to the Underworld. ===Prometheus=== In the ancient play [[Prometheus Bound]], attributed to [[Aeschylus]], Zeus sends Hermes to confront the enchained Titan Prometheus about a prophecy of the Titan's that Zeus would be overthrown. Hermes scolds Prometheus for being unreasonable and willing to endure torture, but Prometheus refuses to give him details about the prophecy. ===Herse/Aglaurus/Pandrosus=== When Hermes loved [[Herse]], one of three sisters who served [[Athena]] as priestesses or [[parthenos]], her jealous older sister [[Aglaurus]] stood between them. Hermes changed Aglaurus to stone. Hermes then impregnated Aglaurus while she was stone. [[Cephalus]] was the son of Hermes and [[Herse]]. Hermes had another son, [[Ceryx]], who was said to be the offspring of either Herse or Herse's other sister, [[Pandrosus]]. With [[Aglaurus]], Hermes was the father of [[Eumolpus]]. ===Other stories=== In the story of the musician [[Orpheus]], Hermes brought [[Eurydice]] back to Hades after Orpheus failed to bring her back to life when he looked back toward her after Hades told him not to. Hermes helped to protect the infant god [[Dionysus]] from [[Hera]], after Hera destroyed Dionysus' mortal mother [[Semele]] through her jealousy that Semele had conceived an immortal son of Zeus. Hermes changed the [[Minyades]] into bats. Hermes learned from the [[Thriae]] the arts of fortune-telling and divination. When the gods created [[Pandora]], it was Hermes who brought her to mortals and bestowed upon her a strong sense of curiosity. King [[Atreus]] of [[Mycenae]] retook the throne from his brother [[Thyestes]] using advice he received from the trickster Hermes. Thyestes agreed to give the kingdom back when the sun moved backwards in the sky, a feat that [[Zeus]] accomplished. Atreus retook the throne and banished Thyestes. [[Diogenes of Sinope|Diogenes]], speaking in jest, related the myth of Hermes taking pity on his son Pan, who was pining for Echo but unable to get a hold of her, and teaching him the trick of [[masturbation]] to relieve his suffering. Pan later taught the habit to shepherds.<ref>[[Dio Chrysostom]], ''Discourses,'' vi.20</ref> [[Battus]], a shepherd from Pylos, witnessed Hermes stealing Apollo's cattle. Though he promised his silence, he told many others. Hermes turned him to stone. ==Hermes in classical art== {{main|:Category:Hermes types}} {{Expand-section|date=June 2008}} ==Pop Culture== *Hermes bestowes the gift of super speed to [[Wonder Woman]] in her origin story. *The winged sandal of Hermes is used as the icon of the [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company]]. ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} ==References== {{Commonscat|Hermes}} *[[Burkert, Walter|Walter Burkert]], 1985. ''Greek Religion'' (Harvard University Press) *[[Karl Kerenyi|Kerenyi, Karl]], 1944. ''Hermes der Seelenführer''. *Ventris, Michael and Chadwick, John (1956). ''Documents in Mycenaean Greek.'' Second edition (1974). (Cambridge UP) ISBN 0-521-08558-6. *[[Eleazar M. Meletinskii|Meletinskii, Eleazar M.]] 1986, ''Vvedenie v istoričeskuû poétiku éposa i romana''. Moscow, Nauka.{{ru icon}} **Introduzione alla poetica storica dell'epos e del romanzo (1993) {{it icon}} ==External links== *[http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hermes.html Theoi Project, Hermes] stories from original sources & images from classical art *[http://www.theoi.com/Cult/HermesCult.html Cult & Statues of Hermes] *[http://www.men-myths-minds.com/Hermes-greek-god.html The Myths of Hermes] *[http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/mycen.html Ventris and Chadwick: Gods found in Mycenaean Greece]: a table drawn up from Michael Ventris and John Chadwick, ''Documents in Mycenaean Greek'' second edition (Cambridge 1973) {{Greek myth (Olympian)2}} [[Category:Hermes| ]] [[Category:Greek gods]] [[Category:Greek mythology]] [[Category:Twelve Olympians]] [[Category:Commerce gods]] [[Category:Trickster gods]] [[Category:Death gods]] [[Category:Animal gods]] [[Category:Agricultural gods]] [[Category:Offspring of Zeus]] [[Category:Deities in the Iliad]] [[Category:Messenger gods]] [[af:Hermes]] [[ar:هيرميز]] [[bn:হার্মিস]] [[bs:Hermes]] [[br:Hermes]] [[bg:Хермес]] [[ca:Hermes]] [[cs:Hermés]] [[da:Hermes]] [[de:Hermes]] [[et:Hermes]] [[el:Ερμής (μυθολογία)]] [[es:Hermes]] [[eo:Hermeso]] [[fa:هرمس]] [[fr:Hermès]] [[gl:Hermes]] [[ko:헤르메스]] [[hi:हरमीस]] [[hr:Hermes]] [[id:Hermes]] [[it:Ermes]] [[he:הרמס]] [[ka:ჰერმესი (მითოლოგია)]] [[la:Hermes]] [[lv:Hermejs]] [[lb:Hermes]] [[lt:Hermis]] [[hu:Hermész]] [[mk:Хермес]] [[nl:Hermes (mythologie)]] [[ja:ヘルメース]] [[no:Hermes]] [[nds:Hermes (Mythologie)]] [[pl:Hermes]] [[pt:Hermes]] [[ro:Hermes]] [[ru:Гермес]] [[simple:Hermes]] [[sk:Hermes (boh)]] [[sl:Hermes]] [[sr:Хермес]] [[sh:Hermes]] [[fi:Hermes]] [[sv:Hermes]] [[ta:ஹெர்மீஸ்]] [[th:เฮอร์มีส]] [[vi:Hermes (thần thoại)]] [[tr:Hermes]] [[uk:Гермес (міфологія)]] [[zh:赫耳墨斯]]