A complete description of the Greek god Hermes.

Hermes

English/Greek Mythology

Hermes the messenger of gods; this is the title given to one of the most fascinating gods in Greek mythology. Hermes (also called Mercury) is a god that is a big symbol for many things today. This Greek god is one out of a variety of the characters in stories that have changed the way we look at Greek Myth.

One night in Olympia, Zeus, the greatest god of all, went out and impregnated Maia, the daughter of Atlas. The Next morning she bore Hermes, who was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. It is said that Hermes got away from his mother Maia, and stole some cattle from Apollo, who was his brother. Apollo got very mad when he found that it was Hermes who had stolen the cattle, but Hermes had made a very nice lyre and gave the instrument to Apollo.

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God council in Olympus: Hermes with his mother Mai...

This cleared everything up and they became friends.

One characteristic that makes Hermes one of the most interesting gods is his appearance. Hermes is the winged god. He was adorned with wings on his sandals, his hat and his staff. At first his staff had two white ribbons on it, but then those ribbons became serpents. One story says that these ribbons became serpents when he was trying to stop two snakes from fighting. These serpents then became intertwined on the staff as a symbol of peace. There were other assets that Hermes had, like the cap of invisibility. Hermes' appearance was usually that of a traveler or that of a worker or shepherd. Sometimes Hermes is believed to have had a beard as well.

Originally, Hermes was the god of good fortune and a supporter of roads and boundaries. Then he became the messenger...